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Old 09-04-2016, 04:11 PM   #476
Brian Swartz
Grizzled Veteran
 
Join Date: May 2006
2047 Wimbledon

Last chance here for everyone to get themselves positioned for the 'stretch run', with the second big break coming up afterwards. With the schedule change though it's a week shorter, which will definitely impact preparation for the hectic push leading into the USO.

Another straight-sets first-round exit for Shyam Senepathy against another unseeded Spaniard. His progression definitely appears to have stalled, just a bit later than I thought it would. Grass tends to make for long, competitive matches, and nine first-round encounters went the distance. 19th-seeded Sava Cirakovic was a surprise first-round victim, going down in four sets to Joseph Skirrow(USA), a fairly dangerous player who pops up every now and then. Thiago Herrera was barely able to get by Djurdje Moicevic, who is still forging his way, 6-4 in the 5th. Another early exit, this time in straight sets, for Marcelo Herrera, while Khasan Zakirov(22nd), also had a disappointing early end. Tobia Alberti(ITA, 14th) was the most notable of two more upset victims in the second round, and there were a couple of other close calls. Sri Lanka's quartet however kept advancing without incident.

In the third, Gustavo Caratti, who always seems to struggle here, just got by the challenge of Srbulovic in a tight four-set match. Pierce Gaskell was not so lucky, as the world no. 5 exited in a four-set loss to countryman Johnny Browne(29th). The Sri Lankan quartet continued to move on, all of them in straight sets once again. All eyes here though were on Luc Janin, as the Canadian prodigy had made the round of 32 for the first time at a Slam though just 20 years old. He was routinely dispatched by Theodore Bourdet who is well above his level at this point, but it's another forward step for the most exciting young player the sport has seen in probably a decade.

Girsh continued to cruise in the fourth round, Federer his latest victim. Caratti was knocked out though, by Davide Poilblan in four sets; he has only made the second week here once. Prakash Mooljee sensed a real opportunity now, but there would be no more easy hurdles. Theodore Bourdet was a major threat; Mooljee is a bit better overall but Bourdet has one of the best serves in the world, a major asset on the grass. Their first match was a classic, and the Frenchman managed only 13 aces and was outplayed somewhat. He still got through though, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. That fourth set was Mooljee's chance to break through, and he couldn't do it. Yet another big match in which he was the better player, but still lost. They are piling up. Five double faults were crucial here. More surprisingly was the match between the other two players: Anil Mehul and Shreya Ujjaval. Ujjaval is a fine grass player, but a comprehensive 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 dismissal of the world no. 4 was still quite shocking. It's the worst result here for four-time champ Mehul in seven years, and perhaps a sign that things have come to a head for him. A stringent battle between Mugur Kinczllers and Garreth McCuskey had three tiebreaks, and eventually ended with Kinczllers getting through in five.

Five of the top eight made the quarterfinals, with three 'surprise' entrants. Girish Girsh got his first real test against Elias Trulsen, a rematch of last year's final coming a couple rounds earlier this year. They traded tiebreaks, but then Girsh asserted himself to take care of business in four sets. Davide Poilblan took the opportunity afforded him and dismissed T. Herrera to reach his first Slam semifinal, while the last two matches both went the distance. Lots of tense moments. Theodore Bourdet joined Poilblan in the last four with a mild upset over Iglar, 6-4, 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. That match could have gone either way, as could have the last one pitting Kinczllers against Ujjaval. The Italian was able to even the match in a critical, long second-set tiebreak, and eventually managed to get through 4-6, 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Ujjaval had him on the ropes but just couldn't put him away. Much like the Mooljee loss, this one came down to the value of an elite serve. Kinczllers blasted 27 aces, while Ujjaval had to grind more and it wasn't quite enough.

The first semifinal was a strange one. Girish Girsh dominated two of the first three sets, but let his guard down every time and was fortunate to survive. The scoreline was 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-1, 6-7(5), 9-7. If he was able to take either one of those tiebreak sets, this is one-sided match. In fact it ended up being very much one by the numbers(200-164 pts) yet he barely one, even with saving all 10 break chances against him. Very weird match all the way around, and he nearly gave it away to Davide Poilblan. Kinczllers cruised through against Bourdet to reach his first Slam final in the second encounter.

The final was pretty one-sided and anti-climactic. Girsh learned his lesson from the semfinals, and was pretty dominant in a 6-2, 7-6(1), 6-4 win. It's his second Wimbledon in a row, third Slam overall, and ensures he stays at #1 in the rankings.
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