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Brian Swartz · 12-22-2017, 07:08 AM

Madrid

For the first time, Anil Mehul skipped a big event here. Shyam Senepathy also failed to qualify as the clay season ramped up this week. Mexican Cristian Castegali continues to cause havoc, knocking out 10th-seeded Rosenberg in the first round. Mackenzie was forced to a third-set tiebreak, but none of the other seeds failed at the first hurdle.

Dircx had a tough second-rounder but survived; a few others did not. Another quick loss for the tumbling Milos Schmucker(12th), who went out to Frenchman Karl Kaspar; Mackenzie(16th) didn't make it through this time, thanks to Moroccan Hmal Sbai; and Phillippe Besson put in his two cents once more, stopping (15)Dick Blake 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(3). Mooljee was pushed also, but won in three over Espinoza. While Besson is an older player, the other two causing trouble here are definitely younger rising players. The third round was mostly predictable; once again Guus Dircx was pushed and once again he got the job done. Sbai was the big story, as he caused another upset over (7)Gillo Fangio. Kronecker took out Hsuang-tsung Teng(5th) in a mild upset, while Dudwadkar had his first challenge but got through Panter 6-4, 7-5.

7 of the Top 9 then to the quarterfinals, and then our 23-year-old Moroccan making his first significant surge. Last year Sbai was 35th; looks like he'll be more worthy of attention now. He took a set from Zarco, no small feat on clay, before losing 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Elsewhere Ruben Piazzola won the first set against Kaspar ... and then won just two more games. Kronecker continued his run, knocking out Guus Dircx who had no more miracles here, while Ritwik Dudwadkar was stunned in an epic by Mooljee, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5). All four matches went the distance, and this was the only one in which the 'wrong' player won. Ritwik won eight more points and was fairly clearly the better player, but the tiebreaks both went against him and that was that. Mooljee leads the series 8-5 altogether, and has never lost more than two in a row despite the fact that Dudwadkar has clearly been the better player now for years.

In the semifinals, something happened that has not occured in 137 matches. Mateo Kaspar lost. This is not a misprint. A winning streak that ultimately lasted for about 17 months is finally over, courtesy of Sigmund Kronecker. The German veteran and 9th seed handled Mateo in straight-sets no less, 6-3, 7-6(1). Both the last loss before the streak(to Dudwadkar) and this one that ends it, happened on the Frenchman's least favorite surface. In the second match, Prakash Mooljee nearly made the final despite being now 32 years old, an incredible run here. He gave Zarco a heck of a match, going to 12-10 in the decisive tiebreak. Could have gone either way. In the end though, it 2nd-ranked Martin Zarco moving on, and winning the title over Kronecker 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. It's his second Masters shield, and solidifies his hold on the #2 spot.

12-22-2017, 07:08 AM	#731
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	Madrid For the first time, Anil Mehul skipped a big event here. Shyam Senepathy also failed to qualify as the clay season ramped up this week. Mexican Cristian Castegali continues to cause havoc, knocking out 10th-seeded Rosenberg in the first round. Mackenzie was forced to a third-set tiebreak, but none of the other seeds failed at the first hurdle. Dircx had a tough second-rounder but survived; a few others did not. Another quick loss for the tumbling Milos Schmucker(12th), who went out to Frenchman Karl Kaspar; Mackenzie(16th) didn't make it through this time, thanks to Moroccan Hmal Sbai; and Phillippe Besson put in his two cents once more, stopping (15)Dick Blake 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(3). Mooljee was pushed also, but won in three over Espinoza. While Besson is an older player, the other two causing trouble here are definitely younger rising players. The third round was mostly predictable; once again Guus Dircx was pushed and once again he got the job done. Sbai was the big story, as he caused another upset over (7)Gillo Fangio. Kronecker took out Hsuang-tsung Teng(5th) in a mild upset, while Dudwadkar had his first challenge but got through Panter 6-4, 7-5. 7 of the Top 9 then to the quarterfinals, and then our 23-year-old Moroccan making his first significant surge. Last year Sbai was 35th; looks like he'll be more worthy of attention now. He took a set from Zarco, no small feat on clay, before losing 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Elsewhere Ruben Piazzola won the first set against Kaspar ... and then won just two more games. Kronecker continued his run, knocking out Guus Dircx who had no more miracles here, while Ritwik Dudwadkar was stunned in an epic by Mooljee, 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5). All four matches went the distance, and this was the only one in which the 'wrong' player won. Ritwik won eight more points and was fairly clearly the better player, but the tiebreaks both went against him and that was that. Mooljee leads the series 8-5 altogether, and has never lost more than two in a row despite the fact that Dudwadkar has clearly been the better player now for years. In the semifinals, something happened that has not occured in 137 matches. Mateo Kaspar lost. This is not a misprint. A winning streak that ultimately lasted for about 17 months is finally over, courtesy of Sigmund Kronecker. The German veteran and 9th seed handled Mateo in straight-sets no less, 6-3, 7-6(1). Both the last loss before the streak(to Dudwadkar) and this one that ends it, happened on the Frenchman's least favorite surface. In the second match, Prakash Mooljee nearly made the final despite being now 32 years old, an incredible run here. He gave Zarco a heck of a match, going to 12-10 in the decisive tiebreak. Could have gone either way. In the end though, it 2nd-ranked Martin Zarco moving on, and winning the title over Kronecker 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. It's his second Masters shield, and solidifies his hold on the #2 spot.