Week 3 - Israel F1 ($10,000) - Eilat (Hard)

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 3 - Israel F1 ($10,000) - Eilat (Hard)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Tie break time

steven · Tennis legend

MP df *1-0

*2-0
MW ace 3-0*
3-1*
*3-2
*4-2 at the changeover

steven · Tennis legend

MW 2nd serve, nice deep follow-up 5-2*
MP 2nd serve 5-3*
MP 2nd serve *5-4
*6-4 set point on Marcus's serve
MP breaks back with a well-constructed point

6-5*
2nd set point (on MP's serve) also goes begging, 6-6*at the 2nd changeover

steven · Tennis legend

MW re-breaks *7-6, another set point on his own serve
2nd serve ... but this time he takes it as MP goes long - 8-6

I have to say the standard here is quite a bit better than you normally expect to see in R1 of a 10K!

seagull · Hall of fame

Lewis breaks back for 4 all

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
Lewis breaks back for 4 all

And breaks again to take the 1st set 6-4

steven · Tennis legend

Lewis has now won 7 games in a row

6-4 3-0*

steven · Tennis legend

Marcus gets 3 break points but the Croatian saves the lot to keep himself in the match 7-6(6) *3-3

Lewis wins his 8th game in a row 6-4 *4-0

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Marcus has had 15-40 and then 0-40 in each of Pecotic's last two services games respectively but hasn't managed the break. Let's hope that doesn't come back to haunt him.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Lewis has now won 9 games in a row and leads 6-4 5-0*

If we were Slovakian, we would be asking about possible injuries.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Marcus finally makes the breakthrough and will serve for the match at *5-3

steven · Tennis legend

L32: (5) Marcus Willis WR 349 beat (Q) Matija Pecotic (CRO) WR 1668 (= CH) by 7-6(6) 6-3

L32: Lewis Burton WR 779 beat Filip Horansky (SVK) WR 607 (CH 541 last May) by 4 & 1

L16: (5) Marcus Willis WR 349 v (Q) Patrik Fabian (SVK) WR 1068 (CH 1067 in Dec)
L16: Lewis Burton WR 779 v (2) Huang Liang-Chi (TPE) WR 262 (CH 228 in Sep) or Richard Muzaev (RUS) WR 858 (CH 564 in 2011)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Marcus seals his victory 7-6(6) 6-3 whilst Lewis serves out for a 6-4 6-1 win.

Both players sealing there respective victories as almost exactly the same moment - playing singles but still working together like a good "double act".

steven · Tennis legend

An A1 day all round really, if you'll forgive the dreadful pun (Gary probably will, at least LOL) ... but seriously, Lewis taking out a higher-ranked opponent (maybe there was an injury problem of some sort, but I doubt Horansky would have played on for another set and a half if it had been drastic) and Marcus dealing with a potentially dangerous ex-college player (the college experts on Twitter both expected it to be close) is a good start to the season for both of them.