Just 1 bp in the match so far. Sugita only got 35% 1st serves in but won 80% on 1st serve and 599% on 2nd, so if his 1st serve % improves, it could get much harder for Jamie. Jamie himself got a very impressive 66% 1st serves in and won 80% even when he did't (67% when he did)
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
What's the record for most aces in a 3 set match. Oswald has just hit his 33rd
According to MTF, the record for a 3-set match is 54 (Gary Muller, Wimbledon 1993 qualifying round 1 v Peter Lundgren) but, checking on ITF, he won that match 20-18 in the 3rd. The Challenger record (which is also higher than the ATP record for 3 sets with a tiebreak in the final set) is 50 (Gregory Carraz, Andrézieux Challenger 2004 v Zib), so Oswald (now up to 37 at *4-3 in the 3rd) is unlikely to beat that. Still very impressive though!
Jamie had at least 1 break point to serve for the match again but Sugita holds on. This would be a painful set for Jamie to lose now, so I hope he doesn't!
6-3 *5-6
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Jamie had at least 1 break point to serve for the match again but Sugita holds on. This would be a painful set for Jamie to lose now, so I hope he doesn't!
6-3 *5-6
Jamie had 0-40 on Sugita's serve at 2-2 and didn't break, served for the match at 5-4 and was broken, then had at least 1 more break point at 5-5 but didn't break. He's just lost the set 7-2 on the breaker. I'd be very surprised if he wins this now (hope he does of course -why shouldn't he, and he's started very well).
Reminds me a bit of his first round match at the big ranking point Challenger at Istanbul earlier this year, when he was a set and a break up against the #1 seed, playing well but couldn't get across the line - then faded in the final set.
If only. What he could be with an extra 5 or 10 mph on his serve and groundstrokes for key moments and an injection of ruthlessness at the business end of matches. With this I could see Jamie regularly beating very good players on his day (players much better than Sugita probably is), whereas with a similarly-ranked Josh I just can't see that potential being there at all.