Open Sud de France

[inseedious]

Nobody created that topic yet

[Clog]

Then I'll start

R16 : Clog (Nadal) def. Vlad (Federer) 6/4 6/7 6/4

Well...I had a lot of trouble winning it as the score shows. We were supposed to play on saturday morning, and I finally couldn't show up. I wasn't expecting to play at 19:00 CET and then Vlad came and asked me to play, so we did but I wasn't prepared. I hadn't played on the Open Sud de France court before so I discovered it and I had a lot of trouble getting used to it. Plus I don't feel confortable on hard indoor since I have more of a defensive game. So that was very tough since Vlad gets better and better ; he proved it again in the Australian Open.
I have to say that the fact I won against him 6/1 6/1 in Doha didn't really help me to feel confident. But I had a really bad memory of this match in Qatar since I didn't appreciate he tried to win the point after a desync/resync that occured just after a point I was about to win (after an UE or a winner I mean). Anyway, this match was more into a "fair-play" spirit and that was great. I'm glad to see I improved my mental strength since I did not freak out while I would have had a few months ago.

So great match from Vlad, and I'm sure your improvements will end to a second title.

[pigrosofo]

I'm excited for my first match in an ATP 250 series tournament I have had to struggle with sprock-93 few days after our first match in Burnie future, also that on hard indoor courts. I was ansious of this rematch because I losted that fight in 3 sets 2-6, 6-1, 4-6 losing serve on final game after a 2nd set in wich I had improved my service performance I used Tsonga, wich gives me great power for baseline play but his service is not so simple to manage, even if he is one of my favourite players (in real life and in the game ). So I decided to try Fish for his more simple serve mechanism, but he has less powerful baseline strikes than Tsonga, specially the forehand, and also less consistency. However I want to improve first of all in service and in return So, let's start say something about today match

pigrosofo (Mardy Fish) defeats sprock-93 (Rafael Nadal) 7-6, 5-7, 7-6

Well, I knew that also this match would have been difficult for me, specially about rallies, considered the great ability of Nadal in defence and the medium values of Fish shots except service. I wanted to concentrate on keeping my serve and try to make at least one break for set, simple, isn't it? in 1st set I have been perfect in my serve games, I think I did not give him any break point, I founded many aces, also in the crucial tie-break he gave me some opportunities instead, he served focusing on place in 1st serve rather than serving at maximum power searching aces, as it happened in previous match. In particular in a game I went 0-40 but he managed to cancel 3 break points thanks also to my imprecision and hurry to make a winner for the break, at advantages I had another break point but bad mistakes of positioning made me lost it. In tie break He went 1-0 and 2-1, he made a minibreak but I recovered it early and in a few times I went 5-2, and than closed 7-3 in 2nd set I continued to serve well til 5-5. I did not give break points, he canceled other break points thanks to wich I could have been able probably to serve for the match and on 6-5 for him I made a disaster suddenly I encountered serious problems on placing serve and at the end I made an unforced wich gave him the set. I was really frustrated if I had kept serice, I would have played another tie break with strong possibilities of win. Instead another time we went to 3rd set, I was a bit terrorized My service problems continued, he breaks me two times in a row in a few time and I almost gave up mentally Having nothing to lose on 1-4, on his service I begin to try new positioning, more near the baseline and I try to return well and break up on 2-4 I knew I had to keep service first of all in order to have some hope struggling I managed to keep serve but he was 4-3. Here I concentrated well and continuing the new returning approach, thanks also to some errors by him, I re break, 4-4 I had the chance to put pressure on him going 5-4 but I made another disaster, service did not enter anymore, I was forced on 2nd serve sistematically and he easily forced me to several baseline errors to rebreak...It seemed to be finished but he had began to conceed chances and I re break another time, 5-5! Finally, I was able to keep serve, with great difficulties and cancelling a break point if I remember well with more calm I tried to put pressure on his serve but some bad unforced let him go 6-6, another, decisive, tie break! I was anxious and I lost 1st serve, but I recovered it and I made also another minibreak! 2-1 and service finally I found a good serve and I went 4-1 breafly we went 5-2 but I losted both my service points after an hard, hard, hard rally I managed surprisingly to make a minibreak, 6-4! He served his last ball and after a thrilling rally he made the decisive unforced! (In our 2 matches he made totally very less unforced than me)

[eliomelma]

Great match!grandissimi!

[inseedious]

Lol, inseedious, goroger1, pigrosofo, sprock-93, the upper side of the draw is all italian

[C4iLL]

It's the davis cup preparation

[pigrosofo]

we want Coppa Davis!!! we want Coppa Davis!!! we want Coppa Davis!!! I prenote a spot for myself in Italian Davis Cup team with elio at the beginning I can make the "Paolo Lorenzi" of situation, relatively low ranking but a good player with the mission of forcing the number #1 of opponent team (as he made with Cilic) to consume energies

[eliomelma]

Good tactic

[inseedious]

So you should pick Nadal and playing 50 average shots rallies

[inseedious]

SF: Felipe.M vs inseedious 6-2 6-3
I'm not so frustrated by this result, but till a week ago I was able to play way better than now (I'm back in campus so I have a 11" macbook screen to play...), so maybe in different conditions we'd play a better match. In the first set I wasn't playing at all, in the second, he won thanks to a break, but I had 3 break points on 5-3 to try to make the match longer.
It's a bit sad playing not at 100% because of hardware limits, but I can't play using external monitors because this would lead to a big time handicap (already tested). I can't find a solution, so I'll likely never reach my previous good level...

[Felipe.M]

FelipeM (Nole) def Clog (Rafa) 7-5 6-0

The match started with the two very into mentally at each point, and a little nervous on my part, in the first game did not have good service effectiveness and flowed much I play, but I knew it was normal, was to enter the marker holding my serve, to go slowly letting go. Initially we started very solid with the service, with the passing of the first four games, started to tighten my returns and do play a lot more games with their service, to generate several break points, unable to realize them. When we got to 4-5 I had three break points to win the set, stood up very well to this point, with some error on my part. Here there was a key moment for me under the match, strengthened came to save those break points, and I can not turn them frustrated in that game was the only chance the match, at 30-40 (I told myself, “we can not let you down now, after what you've done throughout the set”), so I knew then get out and break in another game to close the set 7-5

In the second set, I broke down completely, and without doubt the low level, maybe frustrated by what happened in the first set, I knew I should take advantage of this, to go up as fast as possible on the scoreboard. This happened not miss any opportunity, fully down mentally in the game, without loosening throughout the set, 6-0, to close to have my first title on the major circuit.

I'm very happy for this title, was very motivated to win ... Finally I want to congratulate Clog is a great player, # 2 in the season, I want to congratulate you on your great participation in the Australia Open and the finals here in Montpellier. Already won important titles, I have no doubts about it.