California Challengers, October 2005

[jayakris]

Sorry, I was too excited after that match which turned out to be a 2 hour 4o minutes barnburner. Had a late lunch at 2.30 pm and got back only at 3 pm. Once I saw that Varma had given the game details, I thought I would take a nap .. Big mistake - I fell asleep for 4 hours thanks to a big Quiznos' sandwich Harsh had treated me with !! ..

Anyway here is how the match went ...

Tyler Cleveland was a revelation to me. Not to Harsh who had played and lost to him once or twice earlier in his college career (which I did not remember) though he had beaten Tyler in 2001 the last time they played. Extremely solid player. Sort of in a Kuerten mode, physically. Tall, and reasonably powerful in a bit of a wiry physique. The guy moves really well and has a really tough serve and a nice all-court game. He has a hell of a forehand that he can (and WILL) use for winners on any ball that is more than 3 yards inside of the baseline it seemed. No wonder this guy has come up to inside top-650 and reached back-to-back finals in US futures as a qualifier .. All in just 3 months of play in the USTA circuit .. All of us know how difficult it is for anybody to pick up 27 points from US futures in some 3 months of play, starting from scratch... No wonder he had upset 4th seed #315 Vlaski etc in the qualies to make it in. It took every bit of spunk from Harsh (who was admittedly a bit on and off in his shots) to get past him.

Set-1: The first set was over pretty quickly, as HM was broken three times in a row. He saved about 3 break points on his serve in the set I think, but mostly it was a losing battle. Harsh literally looked like he was unable to focus in and get any rhythm going. Almost like he had not warmed up enough, though he had got there 2 hours early and put in some hitting and all that. Simply a problem of adjusting to a tough player who came out firing. Harsh would have lost about 8 points straight on forehands that Tyler crashed deep into the right corner or just inside the line to the right. And almost all of those points came off Harsh's shots which were not falling deeply enough to the left. HM's forehand was not showing the usual spin and was a bit loopy too. It was a bit weird. Then, once he dropped serve to 0-4 after a couple of deuces, he went and changed his racket. The first two serves he hit with the new racket seemed to indicate that there might have been a problem with his string tension earlier. His coach Harshul Patel and I were sitting together and we immediately noticed that things looked slightly better with the new racket. HM then made a couple of unforced volley errors etc in the 5th game and got broken once more. Then we knew that he might have to wait for the second set to try to turn things around ...

Set-2: Harsh seemed to be playing with a lot more focus right from the start. You could see the energy level in his game had gone a notch up. It was sort of like he had figured some things out and was now ready for battle. He was still making some mistakes, especially on the drop shots he tried - they just seemed a yard or two too long than theyt should be, giving time for TC to catch up with them. The drop shot problem never really went away in this match and he probably lost a couple more points later on that, but mostly whenever he went for the punch volleys, he did well (HM later said he was unnecessarily indecisive on some of the drop shots). Harsh did start hitting his groundies deep on TC's forehand side, which was really what kept the game from getting out of hand, because that dude is trmendous with his forehand down-the-line shot. At 1-1 on TC's serve we saw the last time HM hit a short ball to his FH side, in the whole match. The ability to excuate that game plan was the key to the match for Harsh (that and the solid second serve which I mention below). Smart work on that... Anyway, back to the match .. After a couple of 40-30 games from each, TC held easily for a 2-1 lead. Then on Harsh's serve he got bad call .. I mean a shot from TC which was least a foot out!! .. Well, to that point HM had got some 4 bad calls and he had had it by then! .. Harsh went and asked the ump to excuse that particualr linesman (wearing sunglasses when it was not sunny at all -- HM even asked the side linesman to take his sunglasses off. Old guy who simply was not up to snuff, I think!) .. HM held things up for a couple of minutes, having a polite discussion with the umpire, asking that the referee must be called in etc. The ref called for a replacement I think but play continued. Then the same linesman was behind HM and HM went up and said he won't serve if he is watching the center line! (the ref moved the linesman back to the side, which immediately paid dividents on HM's next serve which was an iffy one on the line, and the lady behind wouldn't dare call that one fault!) .. Anyway, he held at 40-15 for 2-2 ... HM took TC to a deuce but hit a forehand into the net in a 16 shot rally after which TC hit a service winner to stay ahead at 3-2 on serve .. In the next game HM got a nice no-call again at 30-15 and held with a service winner at 40-30 .. At 3-3, HM had 2 BPs at 15-40 after he won a 24 shot rally where HM waited for a mistake from TC and pounced on the first short ball TC hit to move up and win the point .. TC saved one BP with an ace, but HM then made a huge mistake, hitting a high volley out wide left by a couple of inches when he had a whole court open .. HM just laughed while walking back -- and we knew that he was not going to let that bother him .. Anyway it was deuce and after a lob from HM on a charging TC went a little too deep, TC held .. Now it was Harsh facing two BPs at 3-4 after TC won a 22-shot rally with an FH crosscourt and HM tried another lob, giving TC a chance to hit his overhead (another thing TC was really good at, today - he was way too tough to lob on) .. HM saved the BPs with a service winner and then induced TC into some forehand errors .. TC held at 40-15 in the next game and HM promptly countered with a love game on his serve including and ace and three service winner! .. 5-5 .. Harsh's return game really started getting into high-gear at the right time .. Two hard returns and a beutiful bakhand passing shot down the line made it 30-30 .. That might have shocked TC a bit, and as all big servers try to do, he decided to go for too much on his serve right there .. double fault!!! .. Set point at 30-40 .. HM pounces on a second serve and forces TC into an error, and there was the first break of the set - 6-5 .. Tyler was not giving up though, as he took Harsh to a deuce, saving one 40-30 set point .. This is where Harsh served beautifully -- TC could only try a lunging lob return on a big serve with HM ready for the overhead kill .. Second set pt .. HM then went for hard forehand passiong shot which fell an inch out and the second set pt was gone .. decue .. Then Harsh said enough was enough .. ACE to the left corner chalk ... And a second ACE to the right corner .. TC could only shake his head .. 06 75 00 ..

Set-3: HM kept his game up and had a BP in the first game which TC saved with an ace, and then HM himself saved a BP in the next game (as he had two double faults!) .. A couple of backhand passing shots and some excellent work at the net gave HM two game points and a second serve service winner made it 1-1 .. I think those were the last of about 5 double faults Harsh had (had a couple of in the first set) .. The key for the rest of the set was Harsh's second serve which was on the money, though he went something like 2 of 14 in a stretch there on first serves .. At 1-1 HM had TC at a decue point, but he came up with the serve of the match .. Big ace wide left that had HM running into the fence, but unable to touch it .. At AD in, HM shuffled up on a second serve to the surprise of TC and hit a beauty of a return, forcing TC to hit it out .. deuce again .. Another cracking return .. the 4th shot from HM was not called out but the ref changed it (correctly, I think) and then TC held with a nice serve and forehand .. 1-2 .. A nice firehand crosscourt and a service winner helped HM to hold at 40-30 .. 2-2 .. TC was continuing to play solid tennis .. He he held at 40-15 for 3-2 lead ... At 2-3 HM faced a BP after being up 30-0 and losing three points in a row .. Three strong second serves in a row from Harsh and the final one was a service winner .. 3-3 .. TC was again at deuce, but HM could not do much on two successive netchords and he held .. AT 3-4 the match was nearly 2.5 hours and these two started really going after each other .. Some weird net exchanges there, and TC put a soft volley beautifully deep to HM's left that HM could only dump into the net .. AT 30-30, Harsh served an ACE (and I prayed they would not call fault on a clooooose on, and they didn't it) .. A forehand missile from TC made it deuce but then he netted one for HM to serve AD in .. At AD in, Harsh hit another ACE and then had another strong second serve on which he could do some serve and volley .. Too good! .. 4-4 .. Harshul and I were basically getting heart attacks on every shot because of the way thes two were playing .. It looked like it could just swing either way any time .. A couple of service winners from TC and a BH error to the net by HM helped him hold at 40-30 .. At 4-5, Harsh serving, now it was crunch time ... HM was going for his shots and two mistakes and two FH shots later, it was 30-30 .. Now they had a 14 shot rally where Tyler really played wonderfully - making Harsh run left and right and left and taking the point .. Match point against Harsh! ... Saved by a big serve from Harsh on which TC probably choked a bit with a long return .. At AD in, after another 8 shot exchange Harsh had an awesome low dig from the baseline that almost kissed the net and went across and TC could not do much on that .. HM stayed alive, 5-5 ... The pace of the game and the sudden charge from Harsh in the next game took TC completely out of his game in the 11th game, it seemed .. A running bakhand from HM and the patented "fulgurator forehand return" had him at 0-30 and throwing his racket in frustration .. Then a 16 shot rally where HM took charge from the 8th shot onwards .. 0-40 .. The goose was cooked .. Another big return .. HM broke ahead 6-5 - again the first break of the set .. I can hardly speak cogently on the phone to Varma to pass on the score .. Now HM hits another one to the left chalk that made me pray that they wouldn't make a bad call - they didn't .. 30-30 .. Then came the point of the match where these two were all over the court sparring and Harsh come up with a running screamer to the baseline, letting out a thundering "yeaaaah!" .. 40-30 match pt .. And HM hits a forehand into the net .. decue .. Coach Harshul Patel and I can hardly stop shaking - trying not to get a heart attack because we just did NOT want this to go into a tiebreaker .. HM once again showed that he would not let a mistake bother him (that is another of his qualities that came through today for him) .. A great serve and a point at the net gave him his second match point .. Another good serve and a small rally where TC hit the 4th shot into the net .. Game, Set and Match .. 06 75 75

The way this match went, we never felt fully comfortable that Harsh had the upper hand .. He really didn't .. Extremely even match in the second and third set .. Excellent control of nerves by Harsh, and the ability to turn it on somehow late in both sets cuased him to pull off the only two breaks in the seocnd and third sets .. He played well against an opponent, who I am convinced is going to give a lot of players fits, as he has been doing the last three months .. This was indeed a good match for HM to win - as it would have affected him had he not won it .. Great job from the quintessential fighter!

Now HM plays Bozoljac, once again in a 10 O'clock morning match.

Jay

[amr090]

Hopefully theres no let down tomorrow from Harsh. He has to be mentally and physically drained a bit. Hope he can recuperate quickly and beat the Bozo, as Rajeev did a few weeks back.

[Varma]

Great match report, Jay! Thanks a bunch. Harsh badly needed this win. Even though it came against a lower ranked but tough as nails kinda opponent, this win got to break a lot of psychological barriers he has had in the recent past. He should keep the rhythm going and win his second round match tomorrow. I will try my best to be there.

Good job, Harsh and Good luck for tomorrow !!!

- Varma

[jayakris]

He looks fine, and is loose .. Today's match should not affect him, I think.

But Bozoljac (SCG,232) is a VERY difficult opponent too. This 20 year old won FOUR futures in a row in 4 successive weeks, dropping just ONE set in the first three weeks, during May-June!! .. That is incredible and unheard-of stuff. Then he reached the Bukhara challenger final losing to Istomin in a 46 76 56 match where he had to retire in the end .. He went Final, QF, QF in his first three challengers (third one was Sacramento) before losing the qualifying match at Calabasas last week and getting past #148 Karanusic in a 16 76 20 (Ret) match this monday.

Bozoljac is another hot hot player. It just does not get any easier for HM .. Hope he can hold up tomorrow.

I cannot go, as he is playing a 10 am match and I have a class at 12.30 am to teach. I will be in my office (949-824-2172) .. Hopefully Varma can go and give us scores/match-report, or I will have to call coach Harshul Patel for scores.

Jay

[Varma]

Rajeev Ram lost 3-6, 2-6 in the first round to his buddy Bobby Reynolds.

- Varma

[PKBasu]

Thanks for the terrific match-report, Jay, and thanks to Varma for relaying the scores promptly.
All the best to Harsh in R2!

[puneets]

Thanks for the report Jay.
for tomorrow's match Harsh.

[suresh]

Congrats Harsh and thanks Jay for your detailed match report. Good luck Harsh for your second round match.

[gvhvhg]

Great report Jay...Words cannot express how important a win this was for Harsh. I think this was one of many wins to come in matches like these.

[jayakris]

I don't know if the win was THAT important though ... In my view, these kinds of wins should now become reoutine for Harsh though .. He is going to keep getting tough opponents in these challengers -- you have to win these kinds of matches and then win another and another .. That is easier said and done, but that is how you move to the next level.

That is, anybody playing top-250 quality tennis need to be beaten every time, and he needs to start getting wins against top-150 at least half the time. Harsh has the tennis to do that, but hasn't yet done that consistently enough yet. He is getting ready to do that I hope.

Jay

[kiran r more]

Well done Harsh.You can go deep into this challenger.Keep it up

[jai_in_canada]

I don't know if the win was THAT important though ... In my view, these kinds of wins should now become reoutine for Harsh though .. He is going to keep getting tough opponents in these challengers -- you have to win these kinds of matches and then win another and another .. That is easier said and done, but that is how you move to the next level.
Jay

That's absolutely right, Jay. The work to get to the Top 200 (then 150 and 100) is just begining. Good sign, though, for Harsh seems to have learnt mental management skills from some close losses earlier.

[sameerph]

Great report, Jay & I agree that Harsh should win these matches regularly in his quest towards top 200 & 150.
His R2 opponent seems to be as tough if not tougher.

Go Harsh.

[jayakris]

Of course, that Bozo is going to be tough

Jay

[jayakris]

Getting match score updates from Varma!

Harsh Mankad (IND,230) vs Llia Bozoljac (SCG,232)

First set ..

2-3 on serve .. HM serving authoritatively, says varma.
3-4 on serve .. couple of decues on HM's serve at 2-3 but no problems.
4-5 on serve .. No break points on either player so far ..

Jay