250 and 500 Tournament Match Reports

[alex13090]

Just noticed after the AO's we've dropped the match reporting in recent tournaments.

I'll start if off with my match with Max yesterday:

1st set: We have some pretty vicious rallies going on, both having break points that we could not convert. In the tiebreak I go up a mini break at 3-2, and he takes a point off my serve to make it 3-3 again. I manage to steal the set at 6-5, an L2 deep return allows me to stay in the point, which leads to a long rallye with some amazing defense by maximo. Eventually I manage to get him out of position with a cross court top spin and then smack it down the line.

2nd set:
I felt strong at the beginning, going straight to 0-30 on his serve, but he came back and held. I thought I was putting pressure on him but all of a sudden I'm the one who gets broken at 2-2. I manage to break back at 3-2 with a bit of agressive play and a couple of uncommon errors by maximo.
We hold serve till 5-4 on his serve, where I manage to break after another long ralley where I end up at the net, max plays a short top spin in the corner to pass me, but i manage to fumble a soft volley over to the other side and take the match 7-6 6-4.

Very tough game, could have gone either way in both sets. Very lucky to get out of this.

[maximo]

Just noticed after the AO's we've dropped the match reporting in recent tournaments.

I'll start if off with my match with Max yesterday:

1st set: We have some pretty vicious rallies going on, both having break points that we could not convert. In the tiebreak I go up a mini break at 3-2, and he takes a point off my serve to make it 3-3 again. I manage to steal the set at 6-5, an L2 deep return allows me to stay in the point, which leads to a long rallye with some amazing defense by maximo. Eventually I manage to get him out of position with a cross court top spin and then smack it down the line.

2nd set:
I felt strong at the beginning, going straight to 0-30 on his serve, but he came back and held. I thought I was putting pressure on him but all of a sudden I'm the one who gets broken at 2-2. I manage to break back at 3-2 with a bit of agressive play and a couple of uncommon errors by maximo.
We hold serve till 5-4 on his serve, where I manage to break after another long ralley where I end up at the net, max plays a short top spin in the corner to pass me, but i manage to fumble a soft volley over to the other side and take the match 7-6 6-4.

Very tough game, could have gone either way in both sets. Very lucky to get out of this.

How u said in other post, our matches are always mental battles, with good rallies, very funny matches, i think that I am cutting away the distance that separates me from the big players like you, but i hope not to see u nevermore in a tournament ,at least up to semi-finals good luck for the rest of the tournament

[maximo]

ABN AMRO QF, Maximo (Nakamura) def. brgerflipr (Nakamura) 6-2, 6-3
I broke brgerfliper in the first game of the match, which gave to me many tranquility and he did not find his game when he returned, I broke again his service and I put on 4-0 too soon, we won later our services and i took the set 6-2 . In second he started playing better, but with some lucky risk returns I managed to break him in 1-1, there weren´t more bp until 5-3 ,I risked again with my returns and managed to take the match,
It was not an incredible match but it had some good rallies, and I believe that I was very lucky because brgerfliper did not find his game and was not his better day.

[brgerflipr]

Maximo is an EXCELLENT player. He improves every time I play him. Give him all the credit, he outserved me, out returned me, outplayed me. I didn't have a bad day, he just kicked my ***. Congrats on a good win my friend, now go out and get the title for us!

[Josenylund]

played two matches against nitoflament. One yesterday and one today.

The first match i won 7-6 6-4.
Close match. I broke early in the first but he broke we back when i was serving for the set. In the tiebreak he got early minibreaks but couldn't hold on to them and i took the breaker.
Second set he started to play better from the backcourt. He earned break chances many times but could not convert them. I got lucky and broke him at 5-4 to win it.

Second Match i won too , this time 6-7 6-4 6-1.

He broke me in the first game of the match and dominated early on. I got the break back after midway trough the set with some good returns to level the match on even terms. Easy holds to the tiebreak. In the breaker he took advantage of my passive play to get the set.
Second Set i played much better early , i got the early break and held for the remening of the set.
Third Set was same as the second. His played dropped abit. He gave me alot of free points by hitting errors and df's on his service games. I would go on and break him 3 times in the third to win the match.

Feel very lucky to have won both of those matches. Could have gone both ways. Still cant belive i haven't lost to this guy yet in Sim. We play very similar with a high risk game.

[maximo]

played two matches against nitoflament. One yesterday and one today.

The first match i won 7-6 6-4.
Close match. I broke early in the first but he broke we back when i was serving for the set. In the tiebreak he got early minibreaks but couldn't hold on to them and i took the breaker.
Second set he started to play better from the backcourt. He earned break chances many times but could not convert them. I got lucky and broke him at 5-4 to win it.

Second Match i won too , this time 6-7 6-4 6-1.

He broke me in the first game of the match and dominated early on. I got the break back after midway trough the set with some good returns to level the match on even terms. Easy holds to the tiebreak. In the breaker he took advantage of my passive play to get the set.
Second Set i played much better early , i got the early break and held for the remening of the set.
Third Set was same as the second. His played dropped abit. He gave me alot of free points by hitting errors and df's on his service games. I would go on and break him 3 times in the third to win the match.

Feel very lucky to have won both of those matches. Could have gone both ways. Still cant belive i haven't lost to this guy yet in Sim. We play very similar with a high risk game.

Did u use Gray vs Gray?

[Josenylund]

Yes gray vs gray both times.

[Otlichno]

Josenylund beat me in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championship 6-2 4-6 6-4! In the 3rd set he was up 5-0 but I came back and made it 5-4 on my serve, I couldn't hold . He played great but the lag was a bit at times. I served awful though, 72% first serves in -.- when I'm usually in the 90's in that department. My bad serving was especially annoying because I was against Gray who was controlled by Josenylund. You get a 90 return and put it with one of the best players on tour and you've got one of the best returns ever. That was the case. My L2 R2 risk return was not working with me whatsoever so I could not get ANY free points. A bit annoyed though because I felt like if I held my serve I would have had a chance to win the match because I definitely had allot of momentum winning 4 games in a row and saving 9 match points and serving to level the match.

[AUSSIE_FABS]

saving 9 match points

Nice....

[jayl0ve]

Hahaha 9 match points!!?? That's ridiculous. Well done

[nitoflament]

played two matches against nitoflament. One yesterday and one today.

The first match i won 7-6 6-4.
Close match. I broke early in the first but he broke we back when i was serving for the set. In the tiebreak he got early minibreaks but couldn't hold on to them and i took the breaker.
Second set he started to play better from the backcourt. He earned break chances many times but could not convert them. I got lucky and broke him at 5-4 to win it.

Second Match i won too , this time 6-7 6-4 6-1.

He broke me in the first game of the match and dominated early on. I got the break back after midway trough the set with some good returns to level the match on even terms. Easy holds to the tiebreak. In the breaker he took advantage of my passive play to get the set.
Second Set i played much better early , i got the early break and held for the remening of the set.
Third Set was same as the second. His played dropped abit. He gave me alot of free points by hitting errors and df's on his service games. I would go on and break him 3 times in the third to win the match.

Feel very lucky to have won both of those matches. Could have gone both ways. Still cant belive i haven't lost to this guy yet in Sim. We play very similar with a high risk game.

You're very good player, for that reason you still did not lose! every time I play with you I feel I must try harder than usual, the matchs are evenly matched but in the end always you make the difference. I'll have my chance

[Otlichno]

Josenylund is probably the calmest player on tour. If I was up 5-0 and than my opponent came back to level the match on serve I'd probably panic and lose the match in the end. Which is why I think the top ten includes the likes of Josenylund, Djarvik, BurgerFlipR and Coke4. Not only are they one of the best actual players of the game but they are mentally tough and they play the big points well. Against BurgerFlipR and Josenylund whenever I had break point they'd save it with an ace or they'd hit a VERY difficult serve, which is what I think separates the top of ITST here from the rest.

[alex13090]

Alex (House) def TOMO (Gray) 3-6 7-6 7-5

1st set: tomo was playing amazing (the usual i guess ) I tried hanging on but his returns we're too good, and in rallies I always felt I was being outpowered, but it was just tomo timing his shots better and generally being untouchable. He broke me while i was serving at 3-4 to make it 5-3 and served out with no problem, don't think I even scored a point.

2nd Set:

Tomo kept the pressure on, and broke me at 1-1. I broke back immediately, but he broke me again just after. He held his serve, but eventually I would break him back and we held till tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, 1st point on my serve I hit an out wide serve, and line up a forehand down the line, which goes out (You know the ones, those that go out though you didn't risk) at the worst of times.
Mini-break down I returned well and clawed it back. We went on till 9-9 or so, where I took a break and won the tb.

3rd set: at 0-1 on my serve he breaks and takes a 0-3 lead. I break back and at 5-5 tomo's serve I break him, though it was more him handing me the break with a double fault and miss-timed risks, unlucky at such a crucial point in the match.

Excellent game, very suprised by TOMO's play. ALOT less risk slicing, and much more creative play.
Once again im VERY lucky to have won this match.

[tonedawg1]

omg u handed tomo is first loss on the sim tour

[Josenylund]

Good job Alex. great win.
I think Tomo may want his old Bashmakov back