Michael Russell qualifies for the main draw in style

Michael Russell qualifies for the main draw in style Russell vs. Mayer Thanks to the mighty Imran again for helping me with this report as there tends to be issues with me getting there on time to watch Mike’s matches and he is there to step in where I don’t make it.

Leo Mayer is a promising young Argentine player who will do well on the clay, but made an effort to come down and qualify. It was the first time I have seen him play and he has an Ok serve and a good forehand, though his backhand and movement need work.

Mayer lacks concentration and Russell breaks early on the back of unforced errors from Mayer. Then Russell fails to consolidate the break at 2-2, then Russell breaks again and they hold serve and Russell breaks again through the combination of unforced errors from Mayer and Russell working the angles well and takes the set 6-3

Russell breaks for a 2-0 lead and the pattern is set where Russell is being solid and moving the ball around and Mayer is going for more and making many errors and in this case there can only be a clear win to Russell if it goes to form. Mayer starts to lose confidence and he isn’t moving that well around the court and Russell takes advantage of this and continues jerking him around the court exposing his lack of court speed and unlike the Burgi match where he had a lapse of concentration when up a set and 4-2, in this case he runs out an easy 6-3 6-1 winner and now plays Baccanello in the final qualie round.

Russell vs. Baccanello

Only missed the first 2 games this time, though it seems it was the only time Baccanello was in the match. He came out swinging and served 3 aces in the first service game and this was not a clear indication of how the match was going to go.

Initially Baccanello was all steak, then gradually as the match wore on he was all sizzle and no meat. Russell was just too solid with a minimal unforced error count and he is playing with maximum belief and recently anytime there has been a lapse in concentration or going down a break, he has come through easily. Baccanello with his go for broke game on everything especially serve and the baseline rallies, and he was mostly off and that was down to the pressure that Russell applied on him.

The key point in this match was 6-2 2-1 and with Baccanello serving this was a very long game with Baccanello serving big to save the break points and Russell returning well to get to the break point. When Russell finally won it, then Baccanello’s spirit was crushed and his frustration of being a puppet on the string to Russell being the puppet master was clear to see.

Russell ran him coast to coast and used his superior court craft to draw the errors from the Baccanello racquet and take the match 6-2 6-1 and waltz into the main draw.

Congrats to him for qualifying after all the injury set backs and not lacking self belief in making it back. I said to him he can make it back into the top 100 if he remains injury free and some of the clowns that are there now, then good times are ahead. At the start of 2006 he was ranked around 260s and only got that high from winning the Orlando Challenger as a qualifier.

With a continuation with this form the consolidation in the top 100 is a realistic goal to achieve and as long as his health is Ok, then the results will look after themselves. Cheers to one of the most likable guys on the tennis tour.