With the blockbuster match of HM and Vinod Sridhar always lurking in one corner of my mind, I completed my morning activities / light lunch and quickly started for the Gymkhana club promising my mother that I will taste her delicious onion sambar for lunch… Unfortunately I am not familiar with the modern Technology like phones and didn’t call the Club before leaving… So when I reached the club at 10:10 am, I saw HM sitting with a forlorn expression at one corner of the court and Vinod diagonally across him on the other side… Found out that the baseline was severely damaged on Courts 1 and Courts 2 (where KR was slated to play), and they were repairing the damage… This went on for 45 minutes, when the courts were declared ready for play…. And in Walked Hindu Correspondent Mr.Keerthivasan (who was smart enough to call knowing the workings of Indian sports scene) … Okay enough of the rambling (I know you guys are getting bored), so I will get onto the exciting matches…
This was one day HM in spite of winning will be pushed to sidelines when it comes to hogging the limelight… So I will start with Star of the day ---- Karan…
Karan’s Match (with game scores of Karan always in front)..
Game 1- KR Serving won pretty easily holding serve 1-0
Game 2 – SG also holding serve pretty comfortably 1-1
Game 3 – KR with a help of FH down the line winner and another great drop at net to hold serve. 2-1
Game 4 – SG with another easy hold of serve 2-2
Game 5 – Broken… KR failing to hold serve for the first time.. 2-3
Game 6 – SG holds serve easily 2-4
Game 7 – Double fault, but a great inside outside FH winner, KR hold serve 3-4
Game 8 and 9, both SG and KR holding serve – Score 4-5
Game 10 – SG serving for the set… With a BH down the line winner, KR took a 15-30 lead.. Then a rally which went for a while with both KR and SG match strokes,until SG hits a lob to even it at 30-30… And then with a deep serve, SG takes the first set 6-4…
Set 2..
At this time KR was really fighting it out and one could sense that KR was giving a great effort… And I would not have been that sad even if he lost… SG looked to be in tremendous control and after losing the first set, I was thinking that trend of Indians losing to non-indians is going to continue…
Game 1 – After starting with unforced another, KR hit a CC FH winner to even the game at 15 apiece… His second serve in this game was weak and SG was feasting on it… The very first game went to deuce and if KR doesn’t hold serve here, one could sense that match could end very quickly…At deuce SG hits a deep return and KR’s weak shot balloons and falls a few feet away from the net with SG ready to pounce on the ball and hit the winner… After bouncing a gust of wind changed the direction of the ball making SG hit an unbalanced shot (top spin FH), which went way out … AD – KR … This was the point, when the pendulum swung a little towards KR way… Then KR quickly won the next point to take the first game – 1-0.
Game 2,3, 4, 5 – SG, Karan holds serve easily 3-2… At this point SG was really serving well, getting his first serves in..
Game 6 – Karan attacked for only time SG’s second serve and rushed to net… But approach shot was not that good and SG easily passed him… Karan tried a drop shot which again sat up for SG to close the point.. SG holds serve to make it 3-3.
Game 7 – Easy hold of serve 4-3.
Game 8 – BP for Karan… (As I was following the HM-VS tiebreaker which was on court 1, don’t remember the exact details as to how he got to BP)… But SG saves a break point.. Then Karan came with two Cross court winners one on his BH and another on FH to get a much needed break to go up 5-3
Game 9 – With the aid of FH down the line took a 40-0 lead and with an awesome drop volley, takes the second set.. 6-3
At this point, one could feel that pendulum and momentum had swung Karan’s way… At this point SG took a BB ( a little show of gamesmanship
), who was running scared and need to relieve himself (I guess)… I was really mad (though
KR looked pretty calm) and was shouting to referee that this should not be allowed (though my voice didn’t carry much farther than Keerthi who was sitting besides me)…By this time HM- VS match was over and all the spectators was following this match …
Set 3…
Game 1 - SG Serving … With two aces and a drop shot (a change of pace), quickly holds serve - 0-1. That BB really seem to be working..
Game 2 – Very important game for KR to hold serve after the break…Drop volley at net 15-0.. Another drop shot (this one from baseline) takes a quick 30-0 lead.. His net play was awesome through the match with KR making very few mistakes at the net… At this time, SG started to pounce on his weak second serve and after couple of mistakes, KR was staring at a BP… When KR came up with a passing shot down the line to save off one…
This game went to couple of deuces before KR with the aid of another BH-DL(down the line) winner and a deep first serve was able to hold serve…
Game 3 - SG with another great service game 1-2
Game 4 – KR with consistent service holds serve (SG gets a little irritated at this point).. 2-2… At this time I am loudly cheering from beyond the court 1 along with KR’s coach… One problem I faced was Referee shouts the score in court 2 which is barely heard at the gallery and when KR hit a great shot I went bonkers shouting ‘Great shot KR’.. At this point Ajay Ramaswamy turned and told me politely that It was out
.. I politely request the referees to start using hand signs along with the calls to prevent future disappointment…
Game 5 – Easy hold of serve for SG 2-3
Game 6 – A rare DF from KR and he gets broken after lapse of concentration 2-4 Simon… Game7 – SG holds serve 2-5… Oh did I forget to mention that he came back from 2-5 down… Oh So silly of me, but just wanted to see if you guys are dozing or reading all the gibberish
? J
Game 8 – KR slows the bleeding with hold of serve 35..
Game 9 – SG serving for the match… KR tries to pass the rushing SG, who goes for FH CC drop volley which just goes out - After my earlier (mis)adventure, I presumed this was out – 0-15. A DF from SG and the score is quickly 15-40.. Then SG made a costly error when he mistimed his forehand and the ball grazed his racquet to let KR back into the match at 45… Karan now showing tremendous fighting spirit…
Game 10 – With a aid of cross court winner quickly takes a 30-0 lead.. But couple of errors later, it is all deuce.. But KR avoids further suspense by quickly winning the next two points and score is 5-5.
Game 11 – SG after a lapse in previous service game, hits three aces to hold serve(love game) – 5-6
Game 12 – Advantage SG as KR was serving to stay in the match and KR started disastrously with a DF and error to go down love-30… But KR fights back quickly to take the game to 30-30… And then hold serve with a BH CC Slice to pass the rushing SG.. 6-6 Tie breaker..
Tie breaker (KR score first)..
SG Serving first 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 Good smash and drop shot, 3-1 KR dumps to net, SG not to be left behind dumps to net 4-1, Another FH error from SG 5-1, And Dumps to net 6-1,.. And KR takes the Tie break 7-3 when SG hits it long.. And finally KR solves Gruel (after two unsuccessful attempts)
This was a great match to follow with KR showing tremendous fighting spirit... He was very consistent with his ground strokes (on both the sides) and rarely made mistakes… And his volleying when he came to net was also very good.. Second set onwards he really started hitting to both sides of SG making him move a lot.. Also showed tremendous court coverage, which he later acknowledged as one of his strengths.. He has some noticeable areas where he has to improve (Serve, deeper ground strokes), but don’t want to spoil the victory mood with all those comments… All other Indian players who were sitting in the gallery were probably looking askance at my ‘demonstrative’ cheering!!! Looking forward to the next match with Denis Istomin, whom he has played in under 14 …And myself and Hindu Correspondent Keerthi met up with KR later to talk with him.. That report along with Bofors/HM will be posted later, as I don’t want to send guys in US back to bed with just one message (Did I break the record for the long report
)…
Updated: Just added some comments in italics regd the match, which i forgot last time...
Great stuff man.
I hate predictions.