TENNIS TIDBITS AND UPDATES FROM CINCY TENNIS BY ROS SATAR

Written by: on 20th August 2015
Western and Southern Open tennis
TENNIS TIDBITS AND UPDATES FROM CINCY TENNIS BY ROS SATAR

epa04890761 Karin Knapp of Italy (L) hits a return shot to Serena Williams of the US (R) during their third round match in the Western & Southern Open at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 20 August 2015. EPA/TANNEN MAURY  |
Karin Knapp of Italy (L) hits a return shot to Serena Williams of the US (R) during their third round match in the Western & Southern Open at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 20 August 2015. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

 

Battles and Withdrawals – Thursday at Cincinnati

 

The sun was shining after frankly the kind of weather I could have stayed at home for, but it was a day of mixed fortunes for some of our key ones to watch.

 

First up on the wounded in action list was WTA Rising Star Belinda Bencic who retired in her match against Lucie Safarova with a right forearm injury. Leaving the court in tears, she confirmed that it was to be on the safe side as she will bid to better her run from last year’s 2014 US Open, where she reached the quarter-final.

 

It showed great maturity not to just keep playing through the pain as if she was invincible.

 

She said: “First of all, I don’t think it’s like very serious. I just wasn’t 100% today. To beat Lucie or even compete against her, you need to be 100%. I’m really sorry I had to retire. It was like I think the first time ever I retired a match, so it didn’t feel very good.

 

“I just hope it will get better and I’m sure I will be fit very soon.”

 

Wisely she is not rushing to take up a wildcard for New Haven and physically and mentally she needs to stay fresh.

 

During the day we helped ourselves to a huge serving of Serbian Houdinis – with some outstanding escapes.

 

Novak Djokovic seeks that elusive Cincinnati Masters, and almost denied himself the chance of it for another year, in a 45 minute lapse which saw David Goffin take full advantage, leaving the World No. 1 on the ropes with one of his racquets headed for the dumpster after an epic smash.

 

The World No. 1 had to dig deep to stop a run of six games that saw Belgium’s David Goffin take the second set and look as though he was going to dash Djokovic’s hopes once more in Cincinnati.

 

Somehow, in tricky blustery conditions, Djokovic found a way to reel off six games of his own to keep his dreams alive, as he sets up an encounter with Stan Wawrinka, for the first time since losing another elusive bit of hardware to him at this year’s French Open.

 

“It’s tough to say honestly. It was a solid first set, but whatever happened in the next 45 minutes I don’t want to remember it,” he said with a wry smile.

 

“Credit to him for playing some solid, consistent tennis, always making me play an extra shot. Many double faults. I wasn’t on the court. I just lost the intensity and concentration.”

 

He continued: “Obviously tough conditions for both of us. Very swirly on the court. Not easy to serve or easy to control the ball in here generally in Cincinnati. The ball flies through the air very quickly. So it’s not easy to really play some consistent tennis. I will try to take the positive out of this match, and the positive is the last six games of the match.”

 

Not to be out-done, the 2009 champion Jelena Jankovic started solidly against Karolina Pliskova, before being pegged back a set. From there it started to look awfully grim for the Serbian, who last reached the final here in 2011 (where she lost to Maria Sharapova), as she swiftly found herself the wrong side of a 5-2 score-line. Pliskova, sporting a natty new career high this week of No. 7 in the world, was serving for it at 5-3, with Jankovic saving a match point, and breaking the Czech to boot.

 

For her next trick, she then saved three break points before finally converting on two match points of her own.

 

If that was not enough drama for the day, Ana Ivanovic looked to be hopelessly outclassed by an in-form and focused Sloane Stephens who dominated the first set 6-2 before an unbelievable second set, including a game with no less than 14 deuces! Stephens held on to that game, only to pass up her serve meekly for the match to force a deciding set.

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia hits a return shot to Sloane Stephens of the US during their third round match in the Western & Southern Open at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 20 August 2015. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It could not have been more removed from that epic eighth game if it tried – to say that the momentum was with Ivanovic was a supreme understatement! She bounced merrily towards a 5-0 lead, before Stephens at least got herself on the board, saving a match point in the process. But it was a false hope as Ivanovic pulled off the third escape of the day.

 

“Don’t ask me how many break points I had in that game. But, I mean, it was very, very tough game. To be honest, I felt like that game helped me a lot because I really struggled to get my rhythm. During the match she was very aggressive. In the second set I was trying to fight back and trying to change things, try to hang on whatever I got.

 

“The important thing was that after I lost that game, in the next game I managed to stay calm and serve well and actually win that game and go 5‑4‑up. I really felt like that was the turning point. Not the eighth game, but the ninth.”

 

She earns herself a repeat of last year’s final against World No. 1 Serena Williams – who was very much in control with a 6-0 6-2 win over Karin Knapp.

 

The gentlemen closed out the day’s play with the star attractions being Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray kicking off the night action on the three courts.

 

In a battle of the Spaniards, Rafael Nadal looked to be in complete control over compatriot Feliciano Lopez, but in the war of the lefties, Lopez started to open up a lot more, taking the second set, and staying with Nadal toe to toe to force a deciding tie-break. The crowd’s allegiance was tested as Lopez edged ahead in the tie-break and could not be court, dumping Nadal out, ahead of the mouth-watering prospect of a Nadal/Federer quarter-final.

 

Murray made things awfully hard on himself as he found himself on the receiving end of a fast-starting and tenacious Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian took the first set, and Murray dominated in a second set tie-break to keep the match alive.

Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in action against Andy Murray of Great Britain during their third round match in the Western and Southern Open at the Linder Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 20 August 2015. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The momentum swung like a demented pendulum in the final set, but in the end it was Dimitrov who came up short as Murray clinched the victory 4-6 7-6(3) 7-5.

 

In the run up to a major, there was a lot to take from a win like this, as Murray explained: “Playing three‑hour match of that kind of intensity and the length of some of the points is obviously a good test. You want to build up that sort of a reputation that, you know, when you are behind that you’re going to try to come back and you’re going to fight all the way. You know, if that’s in the back of your opponent’s mind going to a competitions, that helps.

 

That left Roger Federer to close the night down in Mason. He obviously had dinner reservations as he ripped through the first set against Kevin Anderson in just 22 minutes. It took him 11 minutes longer to dispatch the rangy South African.

 

He said: “Felt good on the return; felt good on the serve; seeing just the ball really well. It’s a pleasure to play that way because it doesn’t happen very often that you feel this good. So you’ve got to enjoy it, but then, unfortunately, you have to quickly put it behind you and look forward.”

 

He will go on to face a Spanish leftie in the quarter-final – just not the one he (and pretty much everyone with tickets tomorrow) was expecting, when play starts at 11am.

 

Graeter’s Flavour of the day

Today I went for the Cotton Candy variety – but having heard from many folk that the best feature of these ice-creams are their chocolate chips, I feel inclined to agree. This was nice, but for my money their signature still is the winner so far in terms of freshness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Ros Satar for 10sBalls_com.

 

Today’s food challenge saw me hit up the gumbo tent for bourbon chicken and rice, which was very tasty, before finally succumbing to the Skyline 3-way – a spectacularly Cincinnati-unique combo of spaghetti, chilli and a helmet of cheese.

 

Next stop? Burrito-ville!

 

 

Tidbits

· Victoria Azarenka joined the list of withdrawals and retirements as she had to retire in her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a leg injury. Another wise decision with the US Open around the corner.

· US Open defending champion Marin Cilic bowed out to France’s Richard Gasquet

· Tomas Berdych continued his quiet progress through the draw, after blowing Tommy Robredo off the court.

· Simona Halep edged out Andrea Petkovic to advance to the quarter-final.

 

 

Ros Satar is a regular contributor to 10sBalls, and keeps a sharp eye on the WTA, but will write about the chaps too. She is the editor-in-chief of Britwatch Sports / @britwatchsports – because… Brits watch a lot of sports…with Brits in. Follow her on twitter @rfsatar.

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