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Brian Swartz · 06-13-2016, 11:31 AM

World Tour Finals

The first group this year consisted of Iglar, Benda, Gaskell, and Kinczllers, while the second was Mehul, Girsh, Caratti, and Trulsen. That's as tough a draw as we could get actually, an unfortunate development. Anil Mehul lost a tiebreak to Trulsen but still won fairly comfortably in three, while Girish Girsh easily beat Caratti in their opening matches. Next they faced off against each other, with Girsh taking it 6-3, 6-4. That meant Mehul and Caratti on day three would determine a quarterfinal spot. Mehul started off well with an opening-set bagel, but the Argentine wasn't going to go quietly. He took a tiebreak in the second set, and the final set was close until the end when Anil pulled through 7-5. A narrow escape, but he advanced.

Iglar went through unbeaten in the first group, while everyone else won a match against each other. This meant that for the third straight year, the unlikely Pierce Gaskell advanced out of the group with the second spot due to a slightly better count in sets won during the round-robin phase. His run would end in the semifinals as Girsh permitted him just four games. The second semi was much more competitive, with Mehul able to get past Antonin Iglar, 6-2, 7-6(4) without facing a single break point. The Czech is no longer feared at this point, seemingly a shadow of his formal self.

For the third straight tournament, Mehul and Girsh faced off in an all-Sri Lanka final. Girsh would nearly pull even with Iglar if he won, but this time the fresher Mehul got the better of him, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. It's his third Tour Finals crown, good enough for a 4th-place tie on the all-time list.

Elsewhere ...

Prakash Mooljee was seeded #2 at Helsinki, his first CH+ event to end the year. He had an easy time of it until the final against 7th-seeded Swede Manfred Borrman. Borrman, a former Top-20 player peaking at 16th, is much lower down than that now at age 31, but he used his experience well. It was an off day serving for Mooljee and he narrowly lost in a tense match the last coupole sets, a match he probably should have won, 6-1, 6-7(4), 7-6(5). Could have gone either way in that final tiebreak. A tough loss. Though just his 5th of the year, it's another setback in his attempt to move up the rankings. Mooljee did not play doubles this week.

06-13-2016, 11:31 AM	#386
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	World Tour Finals The first group this year consisted of Iglar, Benda, Gaskell, and Kinczllers, while the second was Mehul, Girsh, Caratti, and Trulsen. That's as tough a draw as we could get actually, an unfortunate development. Anil Mehul lost a tiebreak to Trulsen but still won fairly comfortably in three, while Girish Girsh easily beat Caratti in their opening matches. Next they faced off against each other, with Girsh taking it 6-3, 6-4. That meant Mehul and Caratti on day three would determine a quarterfinal spot. Mehul started off well with an opening-set bagel, but the Argentine wasn't going to go quietly. He took a tiebreak in the second set, and the final set was close until the end when Anil pulled through 7-5. A narrow escape, but he advanced. Iglar went through unbeaten in the first group, while everyone else won a match against each other. This meant that for the third straight year, the unlikely Pierce Gaskell advanced out of the group with the second spot due to a slightly better count in sets won during the round-robin phase. His run would end in the semifinals as Girsh permitted him just four games. The second semi was much more competitive, with Mehul able to get past Antonin Iglar, 6-2, 7-6(4) without facing a single break point. The Czech is no longer feared at this point, seemingly a shadow of his formal self. For the third straight tournament, Mehul and Girsh faced off in an all-Sri Lanka final. Girsh would nearly pull even with Iglar if he won, but this time the fresher Mehul got the better of him, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. It's his third Tour Finals crown, good enough for a 4th-place tie on the all-time list. Elsewhere ... Prakash Mooljee was seeded #2 at Helsinki, his first CH+ event to end the year. He had an easy time of it until the final against 7th-seeded Swede Manfred Borrman. Borrman, a former Top-20 player peaking at 16th, is much lower down than that now at age 31, but he used his experience well. It was an off day serving for Mooljee and he narrowly lost in a tense match the last coupole sets, a match he probably should have won, 6-1, 6-7(4), 7-6(5). Could have gone either way in that final tiebreak. A tough loss. Though just his 5th of the year, it's another setback in his attempt to move up the rankings. Mooljee did not play doubles this week.