Berdych then ran away with the 2nd set 6-2. In the 3rd set Simon got the early break but Berdych broke right back. Berdych then broke himself at 5-5 and the next game was a bit of an anti-climax. Simon went up 40-0 on the Berdych serve and yet again it looked like he was gonna reel Berdych back in. But at 40-30 after a long rally Berdych steered a forehand wide and it was called good. The commentary was in French but I'm pretty sure Simon was out of challenges, because the ball was clearly out.
Simon had broken back but due to a clear mistake from the line judge Berdych had won the match. I felt Berdych got really lucky because he just could not pull away from Simon and it was clear to me that Simon was a problem opponent for him. In fact Simon is an awkward opponent period. He doesn't give you pace and is a good counter puncher. Berdych was clearly frustrated and toiled for almost 3 hours before he got a lucky break.
Simon had used up his challenges but how the line judge and the umpire both missed the call is beyond me. Anyway Berdych will take it and now plays Raonic for the title after Raonic beat Gasquet 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. I didn't watch the match but apparently Gasquet lost less than 10 points on serve in the last 2 sets but when he served to stay in the set he just gifted the break to Raonic. Sounds like another classic choke job and the old Gasquet looks to be back.
Same for Stan who got routined 6-4, 6-3 by Benneteau. I guess the US Open performances by Stan and Gasquet was just a flash in the pan from both. We will see how they both fare during the rest of the season. In the remaiming semi Sousa had another impressive win over Melzer, prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Sousa was dominant at the start and I was impressed with this player I never saw play. Melzer lost his temper in the 2nd set after going a break down and smashed his racquet, after which a momentum shift occurred.
He broke back and won the 2nd set, and then went a break up in the 3rd. But this time it was Sousa who smashed his racquet. Again a momentum shift occurred as Sousa broke back. Sousa finally broke again at 5-4 in the 3rd with an epic angled backhand smash. Melzer challenged but the replay showed the ball caught the line. Sousa was into his 1st ATP main tour final and like I said I was impressed with his composure. He has a great chance to win his first ATP main tour title too.
It would be a great story if he does so. Benneteau and Sousa have never played and neither have won an ATP main tour title. As for Berdych vs Raonic the latter have won their only meeting last year and Berdych will be playing to win his first title of 2013. Hard to believe after the consistent season he has had. Raonic will be aiming for his 2nd title of the year after winning San Jose. The matches I watched today were enjoyable and I will be looking forward to some good tennis tomorrow as well.
I'll pick Berdych and Sousa to win.
I didn't catch Stan's match, but I'm hoping "flash in the pan" is a little premature. The guy has played his heart out lately and suffered some tough (almost epic upset) losses. Maybe he's just mentally wiped. Gasguet on the other hand has to be crushed at how poorly he performed in the big moments, double faults, etc. Might be hard for him to recover. I have a question for you. In another post you mentioned that you thought Raonic was the best of the next generation or at least the most likely to break through. That seems like a good bet, but at least for me he's definitely not the most exciting player to watch. Who do you think are the most artful under 24 years old? Which young guns do you enjoy watching the most? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping flash in the pan is premature with Stan too Eric. I'd like to see him play to his full potential and keep his US Open form going. But you could be right he lost pretty easily in straights. Maybe just a bad day at the office and we can't draw many conclusions from it. Gasquet on the other hand just plain choked.
DeleteAs for your question the answer is definitely Dimitrov. I am a big Fedfan and he plays very similar. But he has been a bit of a disappointment. He had some good results this year but the consistency is not there. He seems to be too much of a playboy which is a bit sad. He needs to be more dedicated if he is going to live up to his potential, and he is already 22 without an ATP title. I agree with you about Raonic. I don't enjoy watching him much. Tomic is a bit better to watch but he is very inconsistent as well. Of the young guns it's really just Dimitrov's game who I really care for, so I hope he can refocus but I'm not holding my breath. Thanks for the question!