Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000) - Knoxville, TN, USA (Hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000) - Knoxville, TN, USA (Hard)

Julia Carrot · All-time great

His shirt looked pretty drenched with sweat just in the warm up, so nerves, or illness, I would say.

TMH · Futures qualifying

A bit one-sided this. Credit to Mannarino though, he is playing very well - getting everything back and hitting through the ball very well. Liam looks at a loss right now. *0-4.

TMH · Futures qualifying

Another shedloads of errors hands Mannarino another game. Looking like a bagel set this. hmm 0-5*.

TMH · Futures qualifying

A bit better from Liam sees him take Mannarino to deuce, but he can't prevent the bagel.

0-6.

Oddly I still think this match is there for the taking. Mannarino is solid but not much else, if Liam relaxes a bit and manages to cut down on the errors he's got the ability to turn this one around.

-- Edited by TMH on Saturday 8th of November 2014 08:16:25 PM

TMH · Futures qualifying

Liam finally gets on the board, saving a break point with a nice volley before a slice of luck with a dead net cord on a drop shot (to be fair he couldn't have hit it any closer to the net) and a serve and volley to hold.

1-0*.

TMH · Futures qualifying

Routine hold for Mannarino. *1-1.

Spectator · All-time great

It's all about learning at this stage, and based on the past few weeks, Mr Broady's good at that.

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 8th of November 2014 08:24:00 PM

TMH · Futures qualifying

Good hold for Liam, had to battle for it again though and another net cord at 15-30 helped him. 2-1*.

TMH · Futures qualifying

Mannarino serving well. The Frenchman is looking pretty comfortable in his service games at the moment. *2-2.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Not really relevant to the match but there was an interview a few days back with Mannarino in the French press and he was telling how he only played qualies in a futures tournament abroad twice in his life, once in Poland and once in the UAE.

ANd it was dreadful - he walked for two hours with his rackets and bags because he couldn't afford a taxi and there was no bus.

And he hated the whole thing.

So he went back to France and said I'm never doing that again, either I play well enough to get out of futures without treking around far-flung countries or tennis is not for me.

SO he decided that he would only play futures in two countries, where the events were well run, and pleasant , and professional - namely France and the UK !

And it worked very well . ..

So, thanks to the UK futures, Mannarino is now up and going strong. Great, huh ?

TMH · Futures qualifying

You can see why the Frenchman is in the top 60. He gives away very few cheap points, and is a pretty quick around the baseline. Liam goes BP down but responds with some brilliant serving and manages to dig out another tough hold. 3-2*.

It's a bit of a struggle but as long as Liam keeps on grinding out holds he's still in this one...

TMH · Futures qualifying

Mannarino not really giving Liam a sniff, although Liam pulls off a stunning backhand pass and comes out on top in another cracking rally shortly after. Unfortunately he was a couple of points behind prior to both rallies and Mannarino manages to hold. *3-3.

Interesting story and method from Mannarino ^ I guess you could say it's worked!

-- Edited by TMH on Saturday 8th of November 2014 08:40:18 PM

TMH · Futures qualifying

Great game from Liam who holds to love. smile Seems to be serving a lot better now. 4-3*.

TMH · Futures qualifying

Liam has a sniff in the next game as he gets to 0-30 after a DF and an aggressive return. Mannarino recovers well to get to game point, but a stunning return from Liam finds the line to take it back to deuce. The Frenchman then nets and launches his racquet in frustration. Break point... But Mannarino hits a brilliant serve out wide to save. And this is followed by the rally of the match by far, with Liam throwing everything at the top seed but Mannarino gets everything back then picks off a perfect drop-shot/lob combo. An ace secures the hold but Liam is battling hard.

Does he have anything left in the next game? *4-4.