Gonzo and Gasquet steal the show and Norm Chryst wants to be a star

Cilic vs Ferrer : This one had the potential to be a long match, but just because something has potential doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

Ferrer was able to get an early break in the first two sets, but wasn’t able to consolidate, with Cilic breaking back easily in both of the sets. Cilic for a tall man moves very well laterally and can defend when he has to, in addition to being aggressive.

During the match Cilic was able to manoeuvre Ferrer around the court and with more firepower he broke down Ferrer’s forehand and just too solid all around, the baseline game and the serve worked well and the 3rd set was comfortable in the end.

Del Potro vs. Muller : Good match, with Muller living it up on the big stage, got the first set with some good serving and volleying, but once delPo took the second set, he was able to overpower Muller, it ended up being an unspectacular win, but a win is a win.

Berdych vs Wawrinka : Stani came out firing and showing that classic backhand off, hitting with good length and was able to break early and run through the set 6-4.

Berdych then lifted his game and was hitting some heavy balls and able to move Stani around the court, even using the slice backhand with purpose and not as an afterthought, hope Tomas Krupa can work on that side of things, because he does need the odd bit of variation. Berdman was on fire in the second set, very clean hitting from him, it's even more noticeable when you are in the first level watching hearing the sound of the ball and seeing the movement.

Stani called for the trainer, but it didn't seem too serious and Stani fought very hard as usual, the Berdman was able to handle the "real Swiss #1"'s game and make it through to another 4th round.

The Berdych Army rule, they are a great support group, actually come up with chants that were witty, fun and a bit different, plus they support them through the shit and the good stuff as well. After the match, they were celebrating and gave a few of the Swiss fans the "Na, Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" serenade.

Stepanek vs. Verdasco ; Radek started off well with a break of serve, doing what he normally does to Verdasco changing it up and breaking the rhythm up, but Verdasco broke back straight away, then this happened when Steps was up 4-3 and to serve for 5-3, then the huge change came over the match. Verdasco wasn't making mistakes and Stepanek had lead in his hands, with dropshots landing on the service line and Verdasco was dealing with the rubbish as it should be dealt with.

The last two sets, well Steps seemed a bit deflated and lacking energy, but you can have all of the energy in the world, but it doesn't matter when the ball is getting drilled past you from both sides with a combo of pace and angles. This was an outstanding performance from Verdasco, he has been showing signs of consistency for some time and winning the Davis Cup match under trying circumstances and not playing well, yet still coming through at the end. Hope he can give Murray a few proiblems in their next match.

Best of all were a group of about 8 guys that were chanting and singing about Carlos Ramos the umpire. He was embarrassed about ir, but deep down I think he appreciated it, all the tunes and support for the man himself.

Monfils vs. Almagro : Mucho didn't play that badly and hopefully he can use this as a springboard for better results on hardcourts. The Monfils was his usual part showman, part moonballer, showing his blistering pace around the court that can only be matched by Karlovic and Roddick at top speed, also selectively using the power to put away the short balls.

Just a case of Monfils being better on this surface. One hilarious incident and of course it involved the dickhead umpire Norm Chryst. The guy is such an arsehole and he wants to be involved in the show, but he is there to apply the rules with commonsense, something he lacks. There was a call and Mucho looked up at his camp and wanted it challenged, then Norm wouldn't allow it and "el cabezon" is far from happy with this and of course this is just Norm being part of the show. Monfils is bored with this and has fun during this session, but this was never in doubt.

Blake vs Andreev: Like all of their matches Blake loves the pace of the Andreev shots and is able to hit it back and with lower trajectory and rush Igor, in the process getting shorter balls which he can tee off on.

Now the best till last, when it comes to the matches.

Gonzalez vs Gasquet : Great move that this was put on the MCA (Margaret Court Arena) this is a great court to watch matches, very close to the action and not a multipurpose venue like Hisense which is shit for the most parts. The court was very packed, plenty of Chileans of course who made it like a Davis Cup match, also there were a few Frenchies in the crowd, plus the ones who love tennis there and it was the best match outside.

There was this usher in my aisle, lets call him the giraffe, mainly because he had a neck that was 1m long and was very distinctive. He was very good and took pride in his work, trying to get as many people into the court and finding seats quickly, good to see him take pride in his work.

Onto the match Gasquet started very well and was tactically smart, moving the ball around and eventually getting it to the weaker Gonzo backhand and able to exploit the weaker side and either winning the point on an error, the quality backhand or at the net. This was the best he played in a while, the backhand was firing and his forehand which can go off when stretched was holding up. Gonzo didn't start off poorly, he was just being outplayed and Gasquet deservedly took the first 2 sets.

The Chilean fans were doing their best to get Gonzo fired up and it worked, he was able to use that multi dimensional forehand. He can do whatever with that forehand, want some angle, there will be some quality angles, need some heavy spin, yes got that covered and when we wants to lay the smackdown and hit through it, then that is there as well. He started to make more winners and serve better, he was up a break twice and gave it back straight away.

Gonzo was able to take the 3rd set eventually after having a host of chances. Gasquet was having issues with blisters and he is a bit soft at the best of times, but Gonzo rode the momentum and ran through the 4t, while Gasquet was getting over the initial blister problem.

The 5th set was quality, extended rallies, plenty of fighting from Gonzo, who was struggling on serve, whereas Gasquet was strong in the majority of service games, plenty of winners from both players with their signature shots and their weaker sides were holding up fairly well. Gonzo kept holding on and then in the 11th service game of Gasquet, for once he was able to get the first point and he didn't relinquish the advantage and instead of the forehand, it was the backhand down the line that won the match.

The Chileans were going crazy after the match and a flare was released, so there was some smoke around the venue, glad it didn't get on anyone's clothing as that stuff can burn and kill people. They were very loud and the applause for both players was deserved and a long applause it was.

At the end of the match, there were some glum faces of the Gasquet fans, but many of the Chileans went up to them and shook their hands, both sets of fans enjoyed the match as a spectacle and a 88 mn final set isn't a bad thing, depending on the result.

Later today I will do the 4th round matches and these will be my last reports.