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Old 07-08-2016, 04:13 PM   #417
Brian Swartz
Grizzled Veteran
 
Join Date: May 2006
ROLAND GARROS

Opening Rounds

Shyam Senepathy didn't have to qualify to make the draw here. That might have actually been a bad thing, but it is a first as it made five Sri Lankans in the main draw. Senepathy won a total of one game against Thiago Herrera in the first round, and that was that. Things were better elsewhere, as the other four players all won their first matches. Mehul's match, against Spaniard Juan de los Santos, was a testy one as he was unexpectedly pushed to four sets before getting through. There were several entertaining five-set matches, but none involving anyone expected to be around long. All of the seeds made it through except for disintegrating American Radek Smitala.

Mehul dropped just two games in the second round, a much sharper performance. Shreya Ujjaval had a very fine win, a straight-sets elimination of (22) Robert Martin(ESP). Martin is a quality clay-court player, so this is another sign that Ujjaval is progressing upward. McCuskey and Khasan Zakirov needed five sets to advance, while Philip Carter(24th, USA) won a pair of tiebreaks against Sava Cirakovic but still lost.

Mehul played against a player I briefly managed many moons ago, 32-year-old Argentine Anton Grimaldo, in the third round. Grimaldo had gone five sets in each of his two wins so far, but was easily dismissed here. Ujjaval was on the receiving end of disappointment in a real classic, just getting edged out by Cestmir Marcek, 7-6(2), 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. It's Ujjaval's fifth trip to the third round of a Slam, but he's still winless on those occasions. Three of the opportunities have come in the past year. Portugal's Xavier Caminha is gradually getting more notice, and the world no. 20 dumped Bourdet in four sets to improve his standing. Meanwhile, Prakash Mooljee had a rough go of it against Caratti, taking just a half-dozen games. Obviously a match nobody expected him to win, but a bagel in the final set wasn't what I was looking for. McCuskey survived another tough one, and perhaps the best match of the round was Marcelo Herrera taking out 7th-ranked Mugur Kinczllers in four.

Mehul got more than he bargained for in the 32-year-old Marcek in his final match of the first week. Twice he had to rally from a set down to survive 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Should have been a little easier, but a game effort by the veteran Czech. Not a whole lot of surprises elsewhere. The Peruvian Herreras are doing as well as they ever have, taking out Gaskell and Trulsen in the fourth round, but neither of those were really surprises. Girsh, Iglar, Caratti, etc. all continue to easily progress. They haven't faced their real challenges yet.


Second Week

All four of the quarterfinal matches were interesting as things really started to heat up. Anil Mehul had a terrible first set, then controlled three straight tiebreaks to knock out Thiago Herrera. A hideous display on break points(4 of 18 vs. 6 of 9 for Thiago) threatened to ruin an otherwhise excellent match for him. Gustavo Caratti looked to be in cruise control, then lost a 2-set lead before getting past Benda in five. Bad luck for Bjorn to face him this early. Girsh dropped a first-set breaker to Agustin Herrera but was pretty much in control after that to advance in four, and Iglar came from a set down twice to derail Marcelo Herrera's bid for yet another upset, 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

After all that, top four seeds made it to the semifinals. Caratti took out Mehul in four sets, in a match that was never really in doubt. More surprising was the second match, also going four sets, with Iglar controlling the whole thing and really dominating Girsh, dropping just one long tiebreak.

The final provided yet more evidence that Antonin Iglar is back on his game. Gustavo Caratti claimed his second RG crown in a row, but he really had to earn it. This one went the distance, with Caratti prevailing 7-5, 6-7(4), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Iglar fired 20 aces, while stifling Caratti's serve(5 aces, 10 double faults). It wasn't enough though, and especially at the end the Argentine's superiority was fairly clear. Still a heck of a match though.

Mehul's lead shrinks a bit but he's still well in place as the #1, while Iglar has nearly closed the gap on Girsh. As the tour looks ahead to Wimbledon, less than 2000 points separate the top three.


Coming Up ...

Mehul and Girsh will have the next couple of weeks off, but Mooljee and Dudwadkar will be in action before Wimbledon. Anil will be going for what would be a record-setting 5th straight championship there, and if he fails the top ranking will be in serious jeopardy if not a memory.
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