“10s Whenever” Newsletter Vol. 137

Written by: Staff on 20th February 2014

"10s Whenever" Newsletter Vol. 137

epa03839723 Steve Johnson of the US hits a return to Tobias Kamke of Germany during their match on the second day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 27 August 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/JASON SZENES |

Johnson upsets Haas from Richard Evans, Delray Beach

Steve Johnson, a four time NCAA titlist during his time at USC, scored the best win of his pro career in the second round of the Delray Beach Open by ousting top seed Tommy Haas 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.

The 24-year-old from Orange, California who ended his amateur days with an incredible 72 match winning streak, seems to be getting the hang of life on the ATP tour. He beat Marcos Baghdatis and 20th ranked Kevin Anderson on his way to the quarter finals in New Zealand last month and then won a Challenger in Dallas before fighting his way through qualifying here.

His robust game enabled him to recover from a second set slump against Haas whose injury-stricken career has seen him battle back to the dizzy heights of No 12 in the world at the age of 35. Always a classy performer, the German seemed to be the favorite when he broke back from 0-1 in the deciding set and caught Johnson napping at the net when he made an incredible lunging get on his forehand. Johnson fluffed the half volley as the ball flew back at his feet and then threw his racket to the ground in disgust.

Haas, who is on a self-imposed world tour that will see him play in Zagreb, Rotterdam, Sao Paulo and Indian Wells in successive weeks, started to fade in the last couple of games and was visibly tired when he double faulted early in the breaker. Continuing to score with his big forehand, Johnson closed it out 7-2.

“After that mistake at the net, I kept my composure and hung in there,” said Johnson. “I’ve had a few unforgettable days in tennis and this will certainly be one of them. Tommy is the epitome of the tennis pro, hard working and dedicated. The fact he’s playing so well at 35 is no surprise to me. I had to stay focused.”

That was something Haas found himself unable to do at the end.

“I made a lot of unforced errors and he started to play well again in the third set, serving much better,” said Haas. “I got distracted by the lights and wasn’t seeing the ball well at times. In the end, he deserved it.”

Johnson, who plays another tour veteran in the Spanish left-hander Feliciano Lopez in the quarter-finals, will spend his day off practicing his volleys with coach Craig Boynton. Against Haas, he volleyed like a novice. “I like to think of myself as a pretty decent volleyer,” Johnson said. “But that performance was definitely not up to par for me.”

Earlier in the day Croatia’s Marin Cilic, who beat Haas in the final of Zagreb, defeated Germany’s Benjamin Becker 6-1, 6-3 while Anderson had an even easier time of it when Ivo Karlovic, another Croat, quit after just one game with food poisoning.

Later in the evening the tournament lost another big name when former world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt, seeded 8th here, had to retire with a continuing shoulder problem after losing the first set 7-6 to fellow Australian Marinko Matosevic.

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