Closing Time : Thank you Blaž Kavčič

Today one of my favourite players Blaž Kavčič announced his retirement from tennis. This is was not a surprise as he has been struggling with different injuries over the last few years. As the game has advanced it was getting more difficult for Kavčič to come back and continue to be competitive at the level that he expects. Yes, you see many people online wishing for players to retire, especially when they lose a bet but the reality is the players themselves know when it’s time to pull the pin.

This will not be an easy entry to write and I will do my best to do it justice. Full disclosure you could say I was the lead member of the Norwegian/Australian Kavčič Appreciation Society, then the niche following I have already known this. So, how did this come about? I had seen some results on the Challenger circuit and remember kids Challengers are fun to watch and follow, especially when you see someone come through and do well on the main tour.



Slovenia is not known for its tennis players, sure it has fantastic skiers, ski jumpers, kayakers, basketball and other sports. Back in the day I’m talking around 2008 there were tennis livestreams but the quality wasn’t great. Yes, it’s good to watch tennis via electronic devices but it’s much better live as you get a different feel of the sport, the strokes, movement, patterns and the subtleties. The year was 2009 at the Aus Open qualies where I seen this Dexter lookalike beat Bozoljac easily and I took notice. Then in the next round he lost to the quirky German Florian Mayer after a tough first set, he had no clue as Mayer junked him around with the slices and the funk finishing it off with the donkey kick dropshot.

Australian Open


In that year there was the very prestigious Burnie Challenger in northwest Tasmania. Another great thing about the challenger circuit is the events are smaller, less spectators but they tend to be knowledgeable and also greater accessibility to the players. I was at the event and watched Kavčič beat Ebden, then after speaking with him for a bit I was sold.

From there I was following his career seeing how far he could progress and always going to watch his matches at the Australian Open. 2010 he qualified for the AO and just finished the year inside the top 100 but missed direct entry to 2011 event where he ended up qualifying. The main draw had a couple of interesting moments. He played Kevin Anderson in the 1st round, the match is at 1 set all and one of the stranger things happened. Kavčič ripped his shoes and didn't have any extra, so he looks at Adrian Voinea his coach and says "give me the shoes". Voinea gives them to him and watches the rest of match in his socks. That’s something I have not seen before and not seen since. Kavčič led 2 sets to 1, then was down a double break in the 4th. Once he got used to the new shoes, he took it to a breaker and won in 4.

Voinea and Blaž


The next match was against Youzhny who was in the top 10 at the time. The Colonel won the first 2 sets, then Kavčič comes to back the next 2 sets. When Kavčič was down he played aggressive when he was in front he went into his shell. Youzhny screaming “I can’t make a fucking ball cross court”. The turning point in this match was at 2-1* Kavčič serving. He was struggling very hard, mostly because Kavčič couldn’t make enough first serves and relying on his very weak 2nd delivery. The game went for over 10+ minutes. At Kavčič’s game point, there was a slow ball hit and Kavčič doesn’t play it because it’s out. I didn’t see it at the time, but saw it later and he was right. There was no overrule from Pascal Maria and Kavčič was going crazy at the lack of overrule. This impacted on him and the Colonel was able to break serve and the extra experience and class carried him to victory in this match. Pascal "the Peacock" Maria came up to me after the match and asked me if I knew where Voinea was. I said I didn't know at all, he wasn't happy at all with the spray Kavčič gave him at the end of the match and during the bad call.

The most famous Kavčič match at the Aus Open was with James Duckworth. It was brutally hot about 40 degrees and Court 3 at the time did not have the greatest amount of shade. In the first round Kavčič beat Bellucci who was seeded in straight sets. These conditions were so hot, I remember at the change of sets dunking your head under cold water and you were dry in 10 minutes. Kavčič won in 5, and ended on a drip afterwards and I almost suffered some severe dehydration, needed 3 hours in the ice bath. .

Changes

Not long after this Australian Open, this is where things started to change and the end result wasn’t the best. Voinea had been doing excellent work with Kavčič. You could see Voinea was trying to make him play more aggressively, sure there’d be a few losses in the process but this was what Kavčič needed. What was successful on the Challenger doesn’t work day in and day out on the main tour. This is a point that I will come back to.

Kavčič was not the biggest natural talent but had incredible work ethic which was a strength and a weakness. Voinea knew straight away that Kavčič to stay in the top 100 and do well on the main tour he couldn’t just rely on defensive skills. At the same times you could see the plan working, but at others when struggling he would retreat to type. While Voinea wanted to do better quality work, Kavčič was insistent on doing high volume double gym sessions and double on court sessions, which were a detriment to improvements. Of course, as a player you got to work hard, but it has to be quality work. In addition to that Voinea didn’t want to go to all events and they ended their collaboration way too early.

Blaž and Blaž

Kavčič ended up with a new coach who happened to be the Davis Cup captain at the time. Sure, he had someone with him every week but there weren’t tangible improvements to the game. There were some good results, but it was the classic play lots of Challengers chasing the points for the ranking but not necessarily improving as a player.

What ended up happening was Kavčič was a top tier Challenger player but not quite good enough to prosper on the main tour. Kavčič finished with a 19-17 finals record in Challengers which shows how excellent he was at that tier. In his last year on tour, he made a Challenger final as a qualifier before losing to Rola in the final. In the early days he was at his best on clay, then towards the mid to later part of the career he was predominately playing the Asian hardcourt challenger events which to be fair were of a lower overall standard chasing the points.

When the taxi breaks down

Beginning of the end

As was stated earlier Kavčič has an outstanding work ethic which compensated for the lack of natural ability, whereas his compatriot Žemlja was the opposite. There is an argument that Kavčič did overtrain, as he had a lot of injuries during his career. It was a mix of long term and short term issues with the knee, hand, toe. It was very difficult for Kavčič to build any momentum to have a sustained run in the rankings start getting some good results, get injured, recover, attempt to rebuild the game which requires matches, then that leads to the mental struggles and the cycle continues.


The biggest disappointment for Kavčič would be that he wasn’t able to retire on his terms. It was due to the injuries, leading to the decline in form and ranking where the desire wasn’t there to make the comeback again. At the end of a players career it’s on them as to whether they maximised their potential. Thanks for the memories Blaž it was enjoyable to watch your career unfold, yes that includes the chokes and almost passing out from severe hydration. Now, enjoy the coaching gig and life after tennis.

The Prince Who Will Become King

Today is the last of my reports. Not sure I'm going to the tournament anymore and most of the fun stuff on the outside courts has finished.

Saturday is the busiest day of the tournament in what I like to call "Bogan Saturday". As it was a very warm day, there was lots of alcohol consumed, the crowd was very loose as more liquid flowed .

Tennis with a bunch of drunks is a very fluctuating experience, sometimes it can be fun and others not so fun. Yes, the siiu needs to get in the bin. Kidney punching is an acceptable punishment for this nonsense, of course Danil Medvedev trolled these gronks expertly.


Bautista Agut vs. Fritz

Definite contrast of baseline styles in this one. RBA who is very solid whereas Fritz is a lot more aggressive and now coached by the legend Michael Russell. With players coached by Mikey Russell, they will be well prepared.

Fritz just came out smoking in the first set. He was slapping forehand winners for fun as RBA was struggling to handle the bouncier conditions. Fritz hands out a bagel with a ration of 12 winners and 4 unforced errors, it's very unlikely to lose a set .



Bautista Agut is a tough competitor and is holding some long service games as Fritz is making a few more errors. RBA was able to get some better depth on his strokes, but still not at his best level where it is almost impossible to hit through. The match is levelled at 1 set all and the same pattern continues in the 3rd set, where both players aren't playing well at the same and struggling with serve. RBA takes the 3rd set, but still under his usual level.

At 2 sets t 1 the match was still up in the air. There wasn't a feeling that RBA was going to run away in the 4th, as he was struggling on serve. Once he was missing serves, Fritz was all over it like a cheap suit and besides the huge forehands is hitting some solid backhands as well to open the court up. .

Fritz is swinging freely, anything slightly short has been getting punished as he turns the match around in the 4th set which he takes. RBA is broken at the start of the 5th set and Fritz unlike in previous sets has been holiding comfortably. The match ends with a double fault from RBA. Fritz definitely deserved the win he had more winners than errors as RBA wasn't able to stem the tide.

Daniel vs. Sinner

The Taro Daniel show continues on with him playing "The Prince" Jannik Sinner. This one is a much different challenge to previous. Sinner is a huge talent with a very professional and excellent attitude.

Daniel started a bit nervously and lost his first service game. It took him a few games to settle into the match. Sinner was a bit up and down and started getting behind in early service games but managed to do enough to take the first.

Jannik Sinner

The Prince had a bit of a letdown as Daniel who improved his level using his beefed up serve to get free points and to open up the court moving Sinner around. Daniel was very solid from the baseline with the forehand dominating stretching Sinner who is making more errors under pressure. Daniel takes the 2nd set 6-1 to level at 1 set all

Even though Daniel took the second set, the feeling of the upset wasn't really apparent. Both guys are starting to play at around the same level. It's great watching tennis as you can see how well balanced Sinner is when he is moving and it's clear the skiing background helped a lot. Daniel still continuing to serve well and has not gone into his shell .

Taro Daniel

Daniel went down 0-40, managed to serve three quality serves to get it to deuce. Sinner was able to break in this service game taking the 3rd set. Once Sinner took a 2 sets to 1 lead, he stepped up with level being a bit more agressive and make the move. He was winning the extended rallies with forays to the net and takes the final set 6-1.

Sinner Winner was too good, he now plays de Minaur. Let's hope he continues in the event. As for Daniel, this was a great tournament for him to continue his excellent start to the year. Thankfully Daniel has been very good in relation to injury prevention and may that continue, he is making changes to his game which are necessary to improve. Based on what I've seen, there is a fantastic base for the year.

Cilic vs. Rublev

Not going to do a full match report on the Cilic vs. Rublev game but what a performance from Marin Cilic. The first two sets he turned back the clock to his US Open title form. Cilic nailed it tactically, which isn't something you would always associate with.

Rublev is the classic example of someone who hits tennis balls and is not a tennis player. He only has the one style, the classic see ball, hit ball and not much else. When it's not working, it tends to be hit it harder. Cilic was getting the first strike in, which was successful if not then he'd be chasing the shadow of the ball.

Cilic stuck to the plan and while Rublev has a sneaky good first serve. The second serve still doesn't have much speed or spin, and Cilic teed off. The great man Fernando Vicente will need to add a few different dimensions. Sometimes take pace of the ball to set up for the big play. Cilic playing FAA next will be interesting.

Observations

Now the Aus Open is over for me. I did enjoy my time, some of the results were shit but Taro Daniel making the 3rd round is a bonus. It was fun to watch tennis live, there are just so many little things you don't see on TV. In addition there are 2 cats who I want to give a shout out to Lance and Owen, these guys are hardcore fans, a love of the obscure and kept me on my toes. .

Hopefully I can get some interviews done this year, but ambition doesn't always match reality.

Day 4 : Taro Daniel making history and Foki loses a heartbreaker

Sorry for the lack of reports yesterday, it was a one match deal and will add the information to the odds and ends bit.

It was a very warm day thankfully not too much humidity, a big contrast to the cool conditions on Tuesday. Then again Melbourne weather is as temperamental as a teenager. Now, on that note time to start reporting.

Bautista Agut vs. Kohlschreiber

This was a glorious beatdown, as Kohli is definitely in the deep south of his career. RBA didn't play that well in the 1st round, but this was better for sure and will need to in the next round against Fritz.

Davidovich Fokina vs. Auger Aliassime

This match had a lot of potential as both are shotmakers and apart from the result, it didn't disappoint. Foki and FAA ae well known to each other as they grew up in juniors. Foki won the Wimbledon juniors and FAA the US Open.

While both are shotmakers, they definitely do it differently. Auger Aliassime is very calm on the court except when he is playing finals where he seems to be very withdrawn. Foki on the other hand is a bit volatile and moody, there are some days when he is under pressure he brings the fight and others he'd be somewhere else.

Both settled fairly quickly in the warm conditions. Foki got an early break with a combination of good play and errors. Unfortunately at 4-3, he plays that one dumb service game which he's liable to do and FAA breaks back not through any great pla. The thing with Foki is very up and down, it's a question of when peaks and troughs happen. Both guys held serve to the first tiebraker, which is the equivalent of the penalty shootout. FAA was more solid and took it.

The second set continues in a similar vein to the 1st. Both guys are hitting the ball well. FAA using his forehand to dictate and Foki working the angles and using the dropshot occasionally. They take care of their serves in the set and Foki had the peak during the buster to level at one set all.

Foki forehand winner


Definitely wasn't expecting two tiebreakers nor what was to come. Usually in a best of 5 set matches there tends to be a slight dip in quality, a flat patch at some point which is understandable given the context. This was not the case here and we enter another tiebreaker. The unusual thing here is the quality of serving from FAA. Foki dropped an early point, and was unable to get it back after a miss hit from FAA landing on the corner of the baseline where Foki just misses the backhand.


After the match there was a great embrace at the net where it was played in the proper way. Both guys served over 65% first serve. The fact that FAA's serve held up under pressure which is what got him the win here. Foki had 2/9 break points where FAA had 2/5. Foki had his chances, but FAA peaked where it counted.

Daniel vs. Sir Andy Murray

The Taro Daniel show continues on with him playing Murray. Daniel played Murray once before in Davis Cup and got chopped badly, but this is a different time.

As anyone who has been following this blog knows there is some Taro Daniel appreciation and he has been playing very well this year. Murray after having the new hip and a huge week in Sydney, there were some questions about his physical state after a 5 set win in the first round.

This was a very different match for Daniel for two specific reasons. One he was not favourite and in essence was playing with the houses money. Two, while Murray maybe gassed he still has the experience and his style of game can throw people off.

Taro Daniel taking it all in

Daniel had settled into the match quickly. Serving well against one of the best returners and used his heavy forehand to move Murray around to expose the physical limitations. Once, Daniel managed serve out the first set convincingly, he settled down and stuck to the plan and was rewarded with another straight sets win.

For sure, I am delighted with the Taro Daniel result. Personally, you want to see good people having success, which is happening here. 2022 has been good so far. Qualified for the week 1 in Adelaide, defeated Musetti in 1st round without facing break point before losing a tough match to Tommy Paul. That has been built on here with 5 wins without dropping a set. Going to very tough in the next round against Jannik "The Prince" Sinner but whatever happens, the first time in a third round of a major is a fine achievement.

Day 2 : Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit

Day 2 was much busier than yesterday in the amount of tennis and as the Loaf would say 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Thankfully all of the matches were on the same side of the complex, though walking to the other side is a good cardio exercise.


Bautista Agut vs. Travaglia

On paper this match looked like it would be a routine straight setter. Then tennis isn't played on paper, if it was just rankings based then the lower ones wouldn't turn up.

Bautigol started slowly, making an unusual amount of unforced errors due to perhaps some nerves and Travaglia was successfully going for broke. He served for the first set and was broken. RBA played a solid tiebreaker and took the set.

Bautista Agut

Bautigol settled into a bit of a groove and improved his level a bit, whereas Travaglia's dropped as the big shots weren't going in as previously, comfortably took the 2nd set.

Based on the above, you'd have believed RBA was going to win it easily. Travaglia raised his level, hitting more winners and took his chances to take the 3rd set. He was unable to sustain that level and Bautigol was there to take advantage to win in 4. Not the best performance but got the W, which is all that counts.


Sinner vs. Sousa

Was watching this match while waiting for the other ones to start.

This was a perfect 1st round match for Sinner as he got to hit a lot of balls but the result was never really in doubt here. As for Sousa, I don't think he will get back in the top 100, but there were some good signs..

Daniel vs. Barrios Vera

This was a qualifer vs. qualifier match. Daniel was the most impressive player in qualies whereas Barrios got through for the first time in Melbourne

The first set of this match was crucial. Both players weren't at their best. It's a big match for them and nerves played a part. Daniel was shanking a lot of forehands and Barrios was just getting the ball in for the most part, but hit some excellent volleys.

The turning point in this match was the 1st set tiebreaker. Barrios was up 5-1 and through a combination of passive play and more aggression from Daniel, the Japanese player was able to turn it around winning 7-5.

Once Daniel had won the breaker. He started serving better, hitting more freely which allowed him to hit more penetrating strokes to keep Barrios pinned behind the baseline.

Halfway through the 2nd set it was obvious that Barrios was gassed and there was little resistance in the last 2 sets, which Daniel took for the loss of 2 games. He plays Andy Murray in the next round, prepared to be junked around.

Davidovich Fokina vs. Bolt

This was a good draw for Foki as Bolt has been in very poor form. Even then Bolt will always get a wildcard as caudillo Lleyton Hewitt is a huge fan and what he says goes.

Davidovich Fokina

The only people who were cheering for Foki were his two coaches, myself and a couple of other people. There really isn't too much to say about this match. Conditions were cool and windy. Foki did enough to keep the crowd quiet and didn't have too many emotional foibles. He should have won in straight sets and he did. He's excited about the next match with Auger Aliassime, whereas today was get the win and get out .

Seppi vs. Majchrzak

This sums up the match perfectly.
Not a good performance from the King of South Tyrol and this maybe the last time we see him in Australia. Hopefully this is not the case, but time is the one thing we can't cheat and every generation has its own disease, which needs to be regenerated.

The cool conditions definitely didn't help Seppi at all, as he has a reasonably flat game the timing needs to be spot on. It was definitely off as there were errors flowing like Santa on speed at Christmas.

In addition the young Pole was swinging very hard and the shots were going in. There were some audacious winners and even the mis hits were landing in good positions..

In tennis just as in life, sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.

Main Draw Day 1: The Mailman delivers a win and Bublik brings the entertainment

Today was the first day of the main draw and the crowds were not as large as previous year, then the beer virus will do that. Of course there were some drunk bogans around, but it wouldn't be an Aussie sporting event without them.

Today there weren't as many matches on the card that interested me, but at this stage, there are always matches to watch. It's a question of interest and what courts aren't too full.


Martinez vs. Delbonis

Pedro Martinez who was previously coached by the great man Daniel Gimeno Traver who has now moved on to Bautista Agut. DGT did a great job with Martinez getting him to be more aggressive on the forehand, establishing himself in the top 100. Now, Gerry Granollers is working with him. Delbonis is predominately a clay courter, though he has had his moments on this surface.

Martinez started slowly through nerves as he was expected to win this easily. Delbonis was serving well initially and using his forehand to open up the court, going up a break. Martinez breaks back and gets it to a tiebreaker.

In the buster there was an incident where the ballkid collapsed on Martinez's set point. Both players stopped play, waiting with the ballkid to receive treatment before contnuing. Martinez takes the breaker 17-15.

Pedro Martinez


Martinez had a mental letdown, which Delbonis took advantage of and was able to take the 2nd set. During the set there was a medical timeout for Martinez, relating to a foot issue.

The match is at one set all, yet there was never really a feeling that Martinez was in trouble. Delbonis was having footfaultitis, providing too many opportunities to Martinez which he took to take a 2 sets to 1 lead.



In the 4th set Martinez was hitting some excellent groundstrokes, showing his superior hardcourt ability to take the match. He has a big chance against Garin in the next round.

Bublik vs. Escobedo

When in doubt about to watch, there is never a bad time to watch the unpredictable Bublik.

I got there during the 2nd set tiebreaker. Escobedo takes the 1st set. Bublik, he will never change, he had some great strokes and hilarious misses. He's difficult because of his unpredictabiity.

Once Bublik levelled at 1 set all, that was vital for the match. The Russian was able to relax, start playing more consistently, hitting big serves, with the drop shots. Bublik did a great drop shot and lob combination, which is one of the best things in the sport.

Bublik

After taking a 2 sets 1 lead. Bublik steps it up and Escobedo can't live with the heat. One of the enjoyable things about Bublik besides not knowing what you will get is the running commentary he provided. Normally it's in Russian and English, but this time mostly English and joking with the fans after hitting a huge winner.

Bublik closes out the match without too many issues. He's definitely one cat who doesn't like the heat, thankfully today was not too hot.

Observations

The nice Lopez aka Marc Lopez Tarres is loving life as a father. He's joined the Rafa Nadal Academy as a coach, which is good for him as he has an extra mouth to feed, we all need job security in addition Nadal respects him as an individual. Glad he has landed on his feet.

Roberto Bautista Agut was hitting with DGT today. Gimeno Traver hasn't played much, but he still hits a mean forehand. It's interesting watching them coach.

Marinko Matosevic is back on tour, he is working with Chris O'Connell. It's a definite contrast of characters there. O'Connell is one of the best people on tour, will be interesting to see what Matosevic can offer. He has always danced to his own tune, he's a vegan, living in Bali.

Matosevic


Ending the report on a positive note the Mailman John Millman gets his first win of the year over Feliciano "Pretty Boy" Lopez in 4 sets. Millman struggled mentally with Covid last year and the harsh restrictions of entry into Australia until recently. The Aussies and the South Americans are the ones who are away from home the longest time, but the South Americans could get home. Millman hasn't had a break or a pre season, but he delivered a win which is good for the sport.

Final Qualifying Round Musings

Apologies for the lack of reports, a combination of feeling average and a lack of sleep. So, decided not to write rubbish, well even more than usual. Now onto the fun stuff.

Final day of qualies where it's all on the line. The points and first round prizemoney covers the cost of the trip to Australia. It also helps with the finances that many players outside the top 100 struggle with as life on the Challenger tour is far fom glamorous.


Tabilo vs. E.Ymer

Elias Ymer when he makes the final round of qualies normally makes the main draw. Tabilo qualified here for a couple of years ago, played one of the best 1st round matches against Galan in a festive atmosphere. Both guys had got through to this stage, while not playing that well.

Conditions were a bit different than previous days. Even allowing for this, the scoreline was unexpected at best .

Alejandro Tabilo

Tabilo stepped up this level from the previous two matches. He doesn't have a massive serve but was moving it around to keep Ymer off balance when the rallies started.

Once Tabilo got the early break, he wasn't missing from the baseline and Ymer was making errors. Ymer did not try anything different, no balls down the middle to prevent the angle or a high forehands. If you're getting smoked, then try something different, there are days it will help and others it wont. Tabilo way too good.

Skatov vs. Elias

Came over to this match in the 2nd set. Skatov who was number 1 junior in the world and defeated Seppi for his first professional win. He has been training in Spain .

Elias had a very tough second round match over Varillas with plenty of extended rallies in hot conditions. Skatov definitely looked fresher, he played a very intelligent match and the big points well.

Skatov, you can tell he has been trained in the Spanish school. Mostly used a heavy kick serve to open the court up, using his forehand to push Elias behind the baseline where he was retreating and attacking the weaker backhand side.

Skatov

Unlike the Varillas match, the Elias backhand was being broken down and the slice wasn't as effective. Skatov was patient, going to the forehand at the right time to stretch Elias, then work him over. Deserved win for Skatov, as for his potential who knows. One thing I like the way he constructs points, there is a thought process there unlike some players who are "see ball, hit ball".

Daniel vs. Caruso

The man Taro Daniel who previously played 2 Italians without losing a set against Salvatore "Don't Call Me David" Caruso who had two long matches.

This match had a court change and missed the first few games. Daniel was a bit nervous, not striking the ball or serving well. Caruso is doing what Caruso does, he manages to get the early break.

Taro Daniel flying through to the main draw.

It's never really a break serve unless the player holds their next game. Daniel took his break chance to level up the scores. Once he managed that, he started to settle down and play like he has in the previous two matches. Daniel starts serving better which allows him to use his forehand to work Caruso over . The momentum has changed and Daniel takes the first set.

Caruso is starting the feel the cumulative fatigue from the previous matches. Daniel is playing aggressively working Caruso side to side. He is defending well when he needs to. Daniel finishes the job, qualifying for the main draw without losing a set.

Observations

During the 2nd round match of Elias Ymer and Martinez. In the final set tiebreaker where Elias up 7-0, younger brother Micke was celebrating the win. The physical trainer and myself told Micke, it's a champions tiebreaker here. Either he truly forgot or didn't know.

Gombos what an effort to qualify for the main draw. He definitely dances to his own tune, he's erratic. Capable of world class play mixed in with some rubbish. His 2nd round match with Olivo went to a 3rd set tiebreaker. In this case it's was Gombos being more proactive that got him win, whereas Olivo was too defensive.

Matt Ebden was the last remaining Aussie in the qualies. He and Gombos had a very long match with a contrast of styles. Ebden, doesn't have huge power or spin in his game. He gets by with a bit of craft, using changes of pace and moving to the net. It's a different style that not many are used to playing on the tour these days. Gombos winning in 3 sets after being inspired by the Slovak fans whereas Ebden was irritated by them.

Andrey Rublev really hates tennis balls from the way he smacks them. He and Carlos Alcaraz were having a contest to see who can hit the hardest. Coach Fernando Vicente hasn't given up smoking.

Rublev and Vicente

The Lleyton Hewitt stranglehold on Aussie tennis is still as strong as ever. Maxi Purcell is going to either have to make the top 100 or just play so well he can't be ignored. Interesting that his favourite Alex Bolt got a WC and he turned up to his training session with King of South Tyrol. Not even I stuck around for that.

Speaking of South Tyrol, watching the Prince hit with Auger-Aliassime was a pleasure. Sinner has a great attitude, knows when it's time to work and when to have fun. Sinner will be the Prince until Seppi retires, yes he could have won 4 majors and still be the prince. The next step for him is to go deeper in majors and have more wins against top 10 players.

Sinner Winner

In some bad news the great man Pablo Cuevas has withdrawn from the tournament due to catching Covid. He arrived on Wednesday, trained on Thursday and didn't train on Friday, then he released a video of him in quarantine. This time I don't expect 14 days of entertainment unlike last year. He looked and sounded awful.

Pablo Cuevas

I was going to do a preview but couldn't be bothered. All I know is most of the matches I want to see are on Tuesday. For those who are going to the event, just a note on the mask policy. No mask if you are sitting down, but walking between the courts and indoors then you need to wear a mask. On that note time to get ready for Monday, yes there's a big dark cloud but it will pass eventually.

To end on a positive the Kokk aka Thanasi Kokkinakis won his first ATP title in Adelaide. Winning your first ATP title would be a great moment, even more so when it's your hometown in front of friends and family.

The Kokk has had so many injuries and setbacks, but he has showed resilience and knows which people were there during the dark times. Kokkinakis instead of relying solely on wildcards, decided to play a full season on the Challenger tour last year.

The Kokk

Kokkinakis got stronger physically and was able to play a full season. It definitely helped the first two tournaments were in Adelaide. As for his ranking ceiling this will depend on his body. The tennis game was never in doubt, but the durability is. Let's hope no more injuries for the Kokk.

Day 2: It's Taro Daniel Day

Today was Taro Daniel day and the man did not disappoint, but more on that later. Thankfully the order of play was good enough for me to have a late start. There wasn't anything that needed me to be there at 10am, this plus I could wash my clothes because if I didn't, then they would start walking by themselves. Enough of the jibber jabber and onto individuals hitting round balls over a net in between a set of lines.


Giannesi vs. Heusler

This was an all leftie battle which aren't too commonplace and that has its own interest levels. The classic patterns they use especially on the ad side swinging the serve to the right handers backhand to open up the court, isn't as effective. On a sidenote the great man Pablo Cuevas is the only right hander to win a tournament defeating only left handers.

There was not much between the two players. In fact they played a very similar gamestyle. Pretty much the standard Challenger level, lots of long rallies and moving the ball around moreso waiting for the opponent to make a mistake instead of being proactive.

Marc Andrea Heusler

Unfortunately there was a controversial incident that had a negative influence on the match. There are automatic line calls at this event, whether this is right or wrong, it depends on your perspective.

Heusler had a break, lost it and then Giannessi broke to serve for the match at 5-3. At 30 all, Giannessi serves a clear let that anyone with functioning hearing would have heard. For some reason the let cord machine doesn't go off and Giannessi wins the point. Heusler is naturally very urined off, he gives the umpire a serve and they are unable to overrule the machine. It's a common thing seeing kick serves clearly over the net, yet being called. Needless to say Huseler couldn't behind him and Giannessi closes the match out. Technology is great when it works..

Kamke vs. Gaio

Just a few years ago Tobias Kamke was part of the best matches at the Aus Open with Dolgopolov in 5 sets. He has an excellent game for faster surfaces whereas Gaio is much better on the clay.

Kamke started off quickly with the double break as Gaio was unable to get into the match. Today, Kamke was stroking the ball with good timing and adjusted to the conditions better. There isn't really too much to say about this match. The better hardcourt player won the match. While Kamke played well, the highlight of the match was the presence of the great man Franky Moser.

Daniel vs. Arnaboldi

Daniel had a good week in Adelaide, qualifying for main draw defeating Musetti before losing to Tommy Paul. Arnaboldi is another Italian leftie , not that they play in a similar way but I am always reminded of Alessi "Too Good" di Mauro.

Taro Daniel

Court 15 is right in the back of the complex, which is a great thing. As today was warm, the court was a bit lively and this help Daniel on serve. He was serving well, hitting spots and not being under pressure at all.

Daniel was able to put pressure on Arnaboldi's service games through his heavy forehand dominating and not making errors from the backhand side. Eventually Arnaboldi's serve was broken and continually on the defensive where he had a few good moments but in reality he got bullied around by Daniel .

This was an excellent straight sets win by Daniel. He did everything well, yes including making some volleys. Definitely went for the serve more, got some pace and positioning, once he got the short replies was able to put the Italian on the run with the forehand. If he plays like that, Daniel will easily qualify for the main draw.


Random

Blaz Rola murdered his match against Caruso. He only converted 2/14 break points, had multiple match points in the 3rd but unable to convert through a mixture of passive play and well played points by Caruso. The final set advantage should be played, but the champions tiebreak is the least shit version.

Shout out to Andres "Gringo" Schneiter he is an underrated coach for sure. He did excellent work with Christian Garin who hasn't improved since he left and Londero who has gone backwards after their collaboration ended. Gringo has no issue working with 2 players at the same time.

Now, he is working with Federico Coria who reached his best ranking. Before, he could win at Challenget level, but once he stepped up to tour level he was a walking bye. For sure Coria is best on clay, through Gringo he managed to get him to be more aggressive where has improved their results.’

Gringo Schneiter

Just as I leaving the grounds Matt Ebden was praxctising just after he finished his match. He was very unimpressed with the performance and he won. Ebden is definitely a different cat, makes things interesting. He's playing doubles with Max Purcell if they had a team name it would be the Pariahs, that or the not Lleyton Hewitts.

On that note that's enough for Taro Daniel Day.”

Day 1 Qualies : Here We Go Again

Yes, it's that time of year when this quirky blog actually has some action. I thank the very niche audience who reads this stuff. For sure there was some tennis news relating to anti vaxxer, idiotic government and an organisation who are sketchy at best. My only comment on that subject is, once you get the money, you get the power and that helps.

Ok, enough of the shit and onto the important matters. Today was the first day of the Aus Open qualifying event, which is my favourite day of the event. You get a mix of the hardcore fans who give a shit about the game, the professional gamblers, the wannabes, friends and support staff of the players. It's so peaceful and will be a huge contrast compared to next Monday, so got to enjoy when I can.

F. Cerundolo vs. Cachin

The all Argentine battle was played in good spirit. Cachin is your standard Challenger player, fights hard, no real huge weapons, makes you work hard to beat him and his level doesn't deviate too much.

The Cerundolos are known in the Argentine tennis community, sure they aren't ubiquitous like the Ingebritsens. Francisco is the elder brother who plays totally different from his higher ranked younger brother.

Unfortunately today it was more of the bad side. He was easily the more talented and aggressive player with what he can do with the ball. Took a hard fought first set, but then lost his concentration making a lot of cheap errors to allow Cachin back in the match. Cachin took the 2nd set and maintained his level, unlike Cerundolo who was getting irriated with his own play going for big shots when he hadn't earned the right.

Cachin was solid and played to his strengths and deserved the win today.

Varillas vs. Uchiyama

This wasn't a bad match and on court 5 which was built around trees. It's good for fans but the court services are forever cleaning up the leaves.

Juan Pablo Varillas

Varillas is the lone Peruvian player in the top 200. Peru needs a successor to the great Luis Horna, Varillas like Horna is coached by an Argentine Diego Junqueira who back in the day was very good at Challenger level but couldn't win on tour.

Uchiyama was fighting hard as Varillas was using his heavy forehand to open the couer to dominate the match and stretch Uchiyama. It was a close match on the scoreboard but there was that feeling that Varillas was never losing this match. I do hope he can make the main draw.

E.Ymer vs. Kovalik

This was played in the new Kia Arena. This is not a bad court but definitely there was a lack of air today. Hope it's not a factor when the huge crowds arrive next week, then again I don't see the main courts very often.

The eldest of three Ymer brothers is a veteran of Grand Slam qualies. If he makes the final round, then he makes main draw. When I arrived at the match he was making a lot of errors on the forehand side. Kovalik wasn't doing too much but enough to have a break.

Elias Ymer

Ymer breaks back in the 1st set to level it up and starts to tighten up his game with less errors. After he takes the 1st set, then Ymer settles down and starts to play better. Kovalik is struggling with the low balls on the forehand side and is handing out the errors like Santa on LSD at Christmas time. Ymer keeps playing that side and Kovalik smashes his racquet.

Ymer isn't the most dynamic player but you know that he will grind and he did that to Kovalik.

Marchenko vs. Watanuki

Tennis's favourite Youtuber Ilya Marchenko I hadn't seen him play live for years against the young Japanese.

Marchenko


Marchenko lost the opening service game, well that will happen when you miss every first serve. Watanuki he isn't very tall but has an excellent serve which he used very well in this match, hitting high 190s consistently. Marchenko had a lot of break chances in the 1st set but Watanuki for the most part was able to play an excellent serve to get him out of trouble and take it.

In the second set Marchenko started serving better and had a bit more pop on the groundies. Watanuki was serving well and using the forehand to push Marchenko around. Games were going on serve and then Marchenko takes the 2nd set 6-4 after Watanuki double faulted.

Marchenko was not able to take the momentum from taking the 2nd. He served poorly and was looking gassed as Watanuki kept up his high level of play to run out an easy winner in the 3rd set. After the 3 setter Watanuki asked for some of the match balls as he didn't have enough practice.

Comment Of The Day

Max Purcell wins the day with the best comment about not getting a wildcard into the Aus Open. Credit to Mark McGowan for this.

“I actually was told I’d know on Thursday,” Purcell explained. “[Then] I’m hearing whispers in the Australian locker room from Lleyton saying something to [Australia coach Jaymon Crabb].

“Then, at like 11pm, I messaged Wally [Masur, Tennis Australia performance director] saying, ‘Mate, I’ve got three hours to pull out of [the Sydney Tennis Classic], otherwise I’ll be stuck playing Sydney instead of quallies – what’s going on?’

Hewitt vs. Purcell

“He’s like, ‘Oh, no, Lleyton was supposed to tell you. I wasn’t supposed to tell you. I told him to tell you considering he was the one who didn’t want you to have it’.

“So, I didn’t end up finding out until 11pm Thursday, because I guess he didn’t have the balls to tell me in person.”

Tomorrow is Taro Daniel day.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

The 2021 Australian Open has been completed and in a huge upset that Novak Djokovic won his ninth Australian Open title but this post won't be about Djokvic as there are other outlets and individuals who can cover his trial and tribulations better than myself.

As we are living through some strange times due to the pandemic this has impacted in all areas of life including professional sport. Australia has done an excellent job in damage limitation of the beer virus. This was due to the regional governments imposing tough restrictions, which were a bone of contention for many people. Successful suppression of the virus was necessary for the event to be held with spectators, where this had not been an option for previous events due to the virus being at higher levels.

Many of the players were not prepared for the strict quarantine measures that were required for the event to go ahead and more imporantly that there was not a community outbreak which is a lot more important than a tennis event. Some players made the best of the situation and others did not handle it all which impacted on their performance. Now, that they have gone through this, they should better equipped to deal with challenges.

Pablo Cuevas Quarantine

As a fan it was a very different experience attending the Covid major. The complex was divided into three zones and the organisers didn't account for tennis fans who want to see everything and bought tickets to more than one zone, as there was no freedom of movement between the zones. People had to scan tickets out of one zone and then travel to another zone to scan in. It wasn't all shit as the numbers were less due to the event being held not in school holidays and limiting numbers made watching tennis a much more confortable experience. In the last few years the Australian Open has become almost unbearable to watch to excess crowds which tend to consist of gronks who go there to be seen and not give a shit about the tennis ruining the experience. Sure, most of the players I like tend not to do as well and that the ruins the experience in other ways.

Tennis


Now the on court stuff, there was some good stuff. The progress of the Prince Jannik Sinner, sure he lost in 5 sets to Shapovalov but his body gave out on him and some questionable tactics on the second serve in the 5th set. He's a kid with a big game and a great attitude, which will stand him in good stead.


Jannik Sinner


The challenge of playing in a home Slam can either lift players to above their regular levels or they can be burdened to the point where they can't play their best tennis. John Millman he wants so badly to do well in Melbourne, but his loss to Moutet was disappointed. Normally the Mailman gets pumped up by the crowd, but there was a lack of energy at his match and also the way he played was more not to lose, than to win. Tennis is not like football where you can play to protect a lead.

Pablo Cuevas and the Seppi match was very difficult to watch. Cuevas with the right draw can do well in the South American clay season, definitely showed some good signs. On the hardcourts, he just doesn't have the firepower to win consistently on the surface. Seppi did not play well, but managed to get some wins this week in Biella. There maybe some hope for another top 100 finish at the end of the year, but he's getting ready for the next phase and time does not wait.

The Gael Monfils breakdown after the loss to young Finn Ruusovori was tough to watch. Before the beer virus he was in good form, then after the return to the tour. He has been unable to win a match and the more he tries, the worse it gets. At his best Monfils is an entertainer and tennis needs characters in the sea of robots. As for how Monfils gets out of the funk. He has to remember why he started playing the game initially. I don't expect him to break Vincent Spadea's record of first round losses.

Aslan Karatsev the man from Ossetia who had been on a tear from last year dominating the Challenger tour. He qualified and ended up winning 5 matches in the main draw to join 4 other players to make the semi finals as a qualifier in a major. The Challenger tour is definitely worth following if you are a fan of the sport, it has a great mix of players. The young ones starting their career, guys who were highly ranked but have dropped down due to injury, loss of confidence and the seasoned battlers. Karatsev has had some issues in the past, but finally having his breakthrough at 27. Now the challenge for him will be to establish himself on the main tour.

Danil Medvedev made another major final but was unable to get the job done. The first set was tight and he really needed to win it, but the bulshit Russian got an early break in the 2nd, which was not confirmed. Djokovic decided to set up and Medvedev capitulated mentally. It's an experience he needs to learn from. The Big 3 have been dominating so long, there are flashes but the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Red card to the absolute shitheads booing the Vic government and the other gronks. Melbourne was lucky to have the event. Those in the crowd wouldn't be there if it wasn't for getting the beer virus under control. Let's be honest the government aren't even close to perfect, but got to pick your moments. Yes, lockdowns are shit but yes as anyone with functioning eyesight knows the alternative is worse

This version of the Australian Open will be memorable for many reasons. There were fans, no fans, fans again, some good tennis and some rubbish. I don't think 2022 will be like this. On that note I'd like to give a shout out to Lance and Owen, you two cats love the sport, do it with humour and cynicism which always makes it a pleasure to see you at the event. Hope next year we are doing qualies in Melbourne. Andres it was great meeting you. The great men Seppi and Cuevas no matter the result and also super coach Stephane Robert who wins at life.

Day 3: Save Pedro and Mannarino cutting like a surgeon Australian Open reports

Today was very hot and tomorrow will be worse. As for the tennis, some of it was hot and then there was the Kyrgios show which many people can not look away from whether they like or loathe him .

Martinez vs. Ruusovori

Interesting fact about this match Martinez is coached by 2 guys, one of them the great man known as Daniel Gimeno Traver with the massive forehand. Gimeno Traver had defeated Ruusovori in 2019 at the Scheveningen Challenger.

Martinez started slowly and was unable to get into the match at all. Ruusovori was solid, but not really having to do much at all as Martinez was making errors and hitting a lot of short balls. The young Finn takes the set 6-1 .

In the 2nd set Martinez is holding serve but not without difficulty, At 3-3 *0-40 on Martinez's service game was the turning point of the match. After a huge hold like this, it is very common for the player who came through the tough situation is able to break serve in the next game. Martinez is freed up from some nerves and is able to break serve and serves out the set to take it 6-3.

There was a bizarre incident which is something I have not seen before. Rafael Nadal was training on the next court and there is someone from the tournament setting up in a spot next to us to film a video camera and microphones. My friends and I are looking at each other and thinking what is this nonsense, there's a match going on. Martinez hears them talking loudly and glares, then has enough and told them to be quiet. Finally they get the message and move.

After taking the 2nd set Martinez is now hitting the bal with much greater depth, defending when he needs to and taking advantage of the short balls. Ruusovori is unable to make much of an impression and is feeling the heat. Martinez strolls to a 2 sets to 1 lead .

Martinez starts the 4th set in the same manner and runs out to a 4-1 lead with a double break and this is where the next twists begin. Martinez got a bit passive forgetting what got him to the lead and manages to lose the double break. Ruusovori is making less errors but not really going for it, whereas Martinez was playing the situation and not the score.

Ruusovori at 5-5 plays a game of errors which gave Martinez a chance to serve for the match which he fails to achieve. The 4th set tiebreaker was more a question of who is able to manage a combination of fatigure and pressure. Martinez took the long way home but got it done in 4.



Lajovic vs. Bublik

Bublik is always entertaining, you will get a running commentary in Russian and English whereas Lajovic is all business and do everything not to hit a backhand.

It's an interesting clash of styles Bublik is all power and drop shots and Lajovic is working the angles with his forehand waiting for the short balls. One of Bublik's comments was why won't Lajovic serve a double fault on Bublik's break chances.

Bublik had his chances in the 2nd set but Lajovic saves them and Bublik plays his one dumb service game a set, which Lajovic took and leads 2 sets to 0.

Bublik is still continuing with the monoloigue and I believed that he was going to tank the set. Thankfully Bublik hung around and with a mix of big groundies and deft volleys while taking the 3rd set. The Russian's attitude has not changed and played a dumb game with errors and Lajovic broke taking the match. Bublik's response well I am leaving with 150K.


Mannarino vs. Kecmanovic

This match intrigued me and was wondering why Kecmanovic was the favourite. First thing I noticed about the strong Serbian player is that he is not a great mover this was from last year against Seppi. It didn't change my mind at all here. Kecmanovic is excellent when he is set, but not good on the move.

Mannarino he looks so sleepy and you think what does this guy have to keep winning matches. He's one of those players who is more interesting to watch in person. The crafty French left hander was moving the ball around getting Kecmanovic on the stretch to expose the average movement. Mannarino took the first set easily.



The match continues on the same path. Mannarino using angles and then going down the line to wrong foot Kecmanovic. In reality this was a dissection of Kecmanovic, a bit like the star junior who plays the wily club veteran who knows where to put the ball in spots that the upstart can't handle and they implode. To be fair Kecmanovic wasn't screaming but he got his pants pulled down..

Day 2 Australian Open Cuevas wins the match but Seppi wins at life

Yes,  it's the Australian Open the corona virus edition.   There have been quite a few strange happenings,  but it fits the times we are living in.

No qualies in Melbourne which is my favourite part of the event.   There are 3 zones and it's very inconvenient if you want to go from one zone to the other.   Security has been very strict when it comes to standing up at matches on the outside courts.   The one positive is that there are less people around which is a good thing.

Here are the Day 1 reports,  as it was an awful day for a few reasons and they were done as a microblog.  Read below if interested.

Day 1 Australian Reports

Now onto business at hand,   the reports from the outside courts as that's where the best action happens in the early part of the tournament.

M Ymer vs.   Hurkacz

This was an interesting match for a number of reasons.   For those who aren't aware there are 3 Ymer brothers.   The eldest Elias who lost to Diego Schwartzman in 4 sets yesterday and the youngest Rafael.

Micke Ymer is the highest ranked Swede,   yes there are black people in Sweden. He was a good junior, but has taken his time to transition to the seniors.   It's a combination of a game which was great in juniors but not good enough in seniors and not rushing the development.   For Ymer to get the most out of his abilities he needs to be more aggressive.

Hurk,  it's hard to say what his caper was today.   Maybe he doesn't like the heat,  has a decent serve  but was not really hitting the ball.  It wasn't ballbashing, but it wasn't Gilles Simon passive.   Hurk has been playing well this season and took the first set fairly comfortably.

With Elias giving support,   younger brother Micke starts hitting ball with better depth making it difficult for Hurk to attack or come to the net.   As Micke became more aggressive in the match,  he created opportunities which he took to take the 2nd set.  Micke was definitely into the match,   yes he was defending well and he loves it.  Hurk took the 3rd, but Ymer full of self belief hangs around and manages to change the momentum by being more aggressive  than usual.

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Ymer takes the 4th set and breaks in the 5th to get an excellent win over an in form player. Mikael has to be more aggressive, the passive 10m behind the baseline stuff needs to go. It's the classic trust the process and now plays boom youngster Alcaraz for a place in the 3rd round.

Cuevas vs.  Seppi

This match between two of my favourite players.  Who did I cheer for?  You just clap for both players when they hit good shots and hope for an entertaining match.

Seppi started very slowly and was down a double break.   This was due mainly to Seppi's errors on both sides.  Cuevas was having some issues with the kick serve on the ad side,  but was able to resolve it and Seppi was having a lot of issues handling it which lead to a lot of errors.

Cuevas gives back one of the breaks but was able to take it 6-4. The level wasn't great and continued in the 2nd set. Seppi was making less errors and serving better. Cuevas was playing at the same standard and this lead to a closeness in the scores. On cue when Cuevas served to stay in the set, he managed to be broken and Seppi gets to 1 set all. There was still a strange mood around the match Cuevas got an early break and Seppi digs in and the first 4 games of the 3rd set are the best ones of match where both players are at a reasonable level. Seppi had some chances to get back on serve but was an unable to do so. Cuevas using his excellent kicker to open up the court and control the rallies, not making many errors takes the 3rd set 6-2.

With Cuevas up 2 sets to 1,  still thought this had the potential to be a 5 setter but the theme of the 3rd set continues.  Seppi was unable to put enough pressure on Cuevas services game due to the unforced errors from both sides.   Cuevas wins the match in 4 and the last set was more about Seppi's level than Cuevas being brilliant.

Cuevas will play and has played better matches where he will lose and that's the joy of tennis you only need to be better on the day.   As for Seppi,  he is in the southern part of his career and he loves playing in Australia,  but there were signs that he isn't enjoying  the game at all.

Its difficult to watch,  we all lose a step in speed. Seppi is one of the most professional players out there and a great competitor.  Today and last week,  it seemed something was off mentally,  as for physically who knows.   He is a new father and enjoying his life off court in Colorado and understandably the priorties have shifted.   Going to be an interesting year for both players,  but for different reasons.

Troicki Blows It

It's almost time to stick the fork in Viktor Troicki, though being named Serbian Davis Cup captain is an indication of his future career.   In his match against Michael Mmoh was up in the 4th set serving for it.   He was up 4-0 in the 5th set and manages to lose from this position.

You know it's Slam time when there is a 5 setter with Troicki on the outside courts,   It's as natural as breathing but this time he couldn't get it done and Mmoh was delighted.   One thing about Mmoh he is one player who never skipped chest or biceps day at the gym.

Norrie vs.  Evans

This was a very enjoyable match and not just the result either.    I'd only seen the 4th set and standing next to me was Jan De Witt one of the better coaches out there on the ATP.   He isn't working with anyone but it was fantastic to get a bit of insight .   He said "Yes,  I'm watching for fun,   but the inner coach never really sleeps".

Norrie and Evans know each other so well,  they have trained together and played Davis Cup.   Evans has a crafty game and his patterns happen to suit Norrie's game.     Evans has the game but is generally not the most pleasant,  whereas Norrie  has a bit of a  Guido Pella like backhand and a bit unorthodox,  great competitor and a solid citizen.

Evans won the title last week and Norrie tactically played  it very well not  giving Evans rhythm.   He'd hit maybe 2 to the forehand,  then backhand the line to open the court up and breaking down Evans backhand in the process.

UKIP Evans served for the 4th set.   Norrie was grinding and believed in the process as Evans was getting tight which can happen.  Evo serves a double for Norrie to get the break back,  at this time Evans is starting  to get tired after the effects of last week.   Norrie serves it out and deserved the victory.

Highlight of the day

Retro Review - The Chilean Edition

On the suggestion of my great friend Sammy he suggested to do a retro review of some of the best matches from the outside courts.   As any sage tennis fan knows in the first four days that all the best action happens on the outside courts.   Let’s be honest top guys on the centre court beating up their opponents is not fun.

 

As I have been going to the tennis longer than Jannik “The Prince” Sinner has been alive, so there is a lot of material.  Not sure, how this will go, but it should be fun.

 

Massu vs.  Simon

 

What a contrast in styles,   yes they both play from the baseline but in such different ways.   Massu with bristling energy,  loud grunting, intense and hitting off forehands.   Simon looks asleep, moves the ball around well and counterpunches.

 

Massu is the more experienced player whereas Simon in week 1 had won the Noumea Challenger and qualified for the main draw.   The Frenchman played a lot of matches.    The crowd was mostly Chilean but with a few Frenchies which gave it a fun atmosphere.

 

They split the first 4 sets.    In the 5th set Massu was up 3-1 with a break and I expected him to win due to his experience and multiple opportunities to break. Simon's body was going down and Massu looked like he could run for ages, it was Simon that was able to win this match, his anticipation was excellent and he played a very smart match with good touch at the net and wrongfooting shots.

Massu was just seething inside and out, he knew it was a huge match and he managed to blow it. Simon couldn't walk after the match due to cramps and had to be helped back to the locker room by two people and his court was one of the furthest ones away from it.

 

Bogomolov Jr vs.   Gonzalez

 

This was a highly entertaining and humorous as well for a lot of reasons.  Feña was having some problems with his body and even served underarm at one stage, he was hitting a lot of dropshots attempting to conserve energy.

 

Bogomolov was fighting very hard and the Chileans made plenty of noise with their “Viva Chile” chants.   The Chilean fans were giving Bogo a lot of stick.  Many of them were unaware that Bogomolov speaks Spanish as he spent formative years in Mexico.

 

They split sets and in the 5th set, Bogo after winning a huge point gave it the big "come on" and Feña gave him a big glare. The crowd loved it for sure and were getting into it. At the change of ends, Gonzo went over and had words with Bogo/ Pascal Maria had to get down from the chair to separate them.

 

Gonzo got tight, missed a forehand wide and Bogo won the match. A dejected Feña walked off, waved to his fans and there was a standing ovation. After the match Alex throws his shirt in the crowd and towels. He went to the throw one in the Chilean direction and then he baulked and laughed.   A trolling masterclass.

del Potro vs. Gonzalez

 

After Gonzo got past a difficult 1st rounder against Korolev, the next match wasn't going to be easier against the talented del Potro and this was proven to be the case.

 

The Chileans were on one side of the court with their red shirts and their "Viva Chile" chants and on the other side of the court were the Argentines. It was only Sammy, myself, an Argentine friend Rodrigo and his feisty Bulgarian girlfriend initially, but after Nalle had finished with Lapentti they were over in force. 

 

It was the first time I have seen del Potro in the flesh as well, which is always different from TV. He seems to have a good future in the game if he can look after his body and he is still growing, so management will be the key. The thing I like most about him is his temperament, which is something to always look out for.

The match itself was very close.  The first set could have gone either way as there was a break between them and it went to a TB. Gonzo wasn't as patient as he has been in the past and del Potro was serving well and had his chances to take the first set but Gonzo is too solid in the breaker.

 

Delpo then forgets about that set and focuses on the next one and is hitting good length on his shots. He was serving well frustrating Gonzo who is getting pissed off with the Argentine fans and Juan seems to be handling the Chilean fans a lot better. With some steady play mixed in with attacking at the right moments del Potro takes the 2nd set 6-4.

 

del Potro rides the wave and continues giving it to Gonzo, who is either hitting winners or making errors and this pattern continues into the 3rd set and fired up by his fans he takes the 3rd set as well.   It was a fun football atmosphere with the Chilean fans making jokes about the Malvinas and Argentines responding with their own chants.

 

Even though he is leading 2 sets to 1, the feeling around is if somehow Gonzo gets the 4th set, then he will win the 5th and this was eventuated. Gonzo tightens up his play and the youngster is getting tired. Gonzo fights hard to get the 4th. At the start of the 5th del Potro starts to serve slower and the big Chilean takes advantage of this and his greater experience was the key here in that he found a way to win, not playing well.

 

del Potro had cramps or a side strain, but he was brave and has something to build on with this performance.

 

This is end of retro review part 1 and there will be more to come.