Week 4 - USA F3 ($10,000) - Weston, FL (clay)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

RE: Week 4 - USA F3 ($10,000) - Weston, FL (clay)

steven · Tennis legend

C10s:

This one's going 3. Backhand cross court winner from Crivoi at 30-all, then Edmund forehands long on set point. 7-5 for the 31yo Romanian.

korriban · Challenger level

Victor Crivoi has cropped up fairly regularly at Futures tournaments we've been following and he certainly wears his #1 seeding easily against typical Futures opponents, especially on clay. I've noticed that he is often a slow starter in terms of the scoreline, regularly losing the first set even against inferior opposition. Whilst I've never seen him play, there is enough commentary to suggest he's one of those very experienced "tacticians" who can play in a number of ways and will often analyse the opponent for a while before selecting a killer approach to get the win.......rather than imposing their own game style above all costs. At Futures level, if you're good enough (which he clearly is), this is a great tactic. At higher levels, it's simply not going to work.

Assuming he's now well and truly got Kyle's game sussed, for Kyle to win might need him to change things up.......tough for a 19 year old......can he do it?

RJA · Hall of fame

Kyle saved 4 break points early in the third but eventually succumbed on the fifth one. Trails *0-3

-- Edited by RJA on Sunday 26th of January 2014 06:29:17 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Uphill from here. Kyle is *0-3 down.

RJA · Hall of fame

Look like it's all gone wrong

0-4*

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

I agree with Korriban's assessment of the wily old clay court campaigner, working out the up and coming young player and thinking his way to victory. There may also be a bit of fatigue in Kyle's legs after two longs weeks. Either way, this set is going only one way now.

steven · Tennis legend

Last year, Crivoi won one of the first two sets by a single break (well, 6-3 so probably a single break), Kyle won the other in a tiebreak and Crivoi ran away with the decider - apart from the first two sets being in the opposite order, history may be repeating itself

7-6(2) 5-7 *0-5

Let's hope it is just Crivoi's modus operandi that explains the score and not an injury to Kyle.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Kyle is struggling to win a point now and is *0-5 down.

steven · Tennis legend

C10s: Looking like this set going much the way of last year's match. Kyle very lethargic out there, looks like nothing left in tank surprisingly.

korriban · Challenger level

Am I reading the 16 points in a row for Crivoi correctly? Wily campaigner for sure, but let's hope it's just that!

Still have to remember the physicality needed to win 9 clay court matches in a row at 18/19 years old......which clearly caught up with him, given the commentary from Challenger tennis on the sidelines. From 5-1 up in set 1, arguably we could read the match as Kyle "hanging on" for a set and a half, but then finally the elastic snapped once he dropped the second set.

Bags of time to recover for DC and another great week.

-- Edited by korriban on Sunday 26th of January 2014 06:40:26 PM

steven · Tennis legend

FINAL: (4) Kyle Edmund WR 372 lost to (1) Victor Crivoi (ROU) WR 232 (CH 75 in 2009) by 6-7(2) 7-5 6-0

philwrig · Hall of fame

I think still at Kyle's early stage of his career, his power game usually is too much for his opponents, but when he is neutralised, a bit like a heavyweight boxer/John Isner he can effectively knock himself out( look punch drunk on court). Still though a great start to the year, and only positives to take out of the first 2 weeks.

RJA · Hall of fame

Good solid start to the year for Kyle who continues his good progress but today only re-enforces my belief that it is too soon to throw him in for a Davis Cup tie against class opposition.

korriban · Challenger level

philwrig wrote:
I think still at Kyle's early stage of his career, his power game usually is too much for his opponents, but when he is neutralised, a bit like a heavyweight boxer/John Isner he can effectively knock himself out( look punch drunk on court). Still though a great start to the year, and only positives to take out of the first 2 weeks.

Nice way of putting it, Phil. Solution may be even more power, or to have the ability to change up completely. Or even better to have both. In time, of course.

It's often the case with players who rely on a power game and have no Plan B. If the opponent can hang in there for long enough (and it can mean going down a set), but eventually handle the pace and even use it to their advantage, the match can turn very quickly and suddenly look ridiculously one sided. Cibulkova on Saturday another good example, although nerves were also a big factor.