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mytennisdiary · 3 years

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US Open 2021 - Day 9

Van de Zandschulp vs Medvedev

Medvedev has come out and taken a double break 4-1 lead, Botic found success in one of his service games getting in to net, but he’s also bailed out on some drop shots and Medvedev has punished him. BG and Darren are calling for short, sharp angle shots to take Medvedev off the court and then coming in as an effective strategy for Botic. Very good end to the first set, Botic really raised his level. Managed to break Medvedev, drawing him in with some backhand slice and coming up with some nice passing shot. BG points out the Botic seems to struggle with his footwork/racket speed on forehands in the middle of the court, much better with the forehand on the run. Long game at 5-3 on Botic’s serve, Botic hit some nice volleys and some not so great ones. Medvedev got the break to take the set. Medvedev took the 2nd set 6-0 and Botic looked like he was physically fading (he had spent over 19 hours on court including qualifying before this match started). He had a trainer visit where they rubbed down his left thigh. Then in the third set Medvedev wasn’t able to get an early break and Botic ended up being the one to break at 2-3. He’s found some more success with drop shot and is serving brilliantly now after he was really missing a lot of first serves early in the match. Medvedev has started to throw in a lot more forehand errors and Botic was able to keep the break serve and close out the first set. Now Botic is really serving well, Medvedev has started to try to come in to net a bit more. Botic is staying in some long points with him and now seems to be moving much better. Medvedev is absolutely crushing his first serve in the 4th set, he’s only missed 3 of them through his first 5 service games, playing way more aggressive and holding comfortably. Meanwhile, Botic has had a couple of 40-30 games on his serve that he’s managed to shut down before they got to deuce. He’s gotten comfortable playing these long points, forcing Medvedev to pull the trigger and make the error. Botic saved a match point at 4-5 on his serve, after Medvedev came up with some incredible returns to get 30-40, Botic shut it down with big serving and won the next 3 points. Medvedev still rolling on his serve. The pressure of serving from behind all set finally caught up with Botic who made some forehand errors and a double fault before putting a drop shot into the net. This really got exciting at the end and I hope it does Medvedev good to have come through this.

Svitolina vs Fernandez

LAF has started with a bunch of errors, but then in her 2nd service game she came up with a really nice volley and a beautiful drop shot to hold off Svitolina. Elina seems a bit tight, but is finding her feel on the groundstrokes. Both players holding serve, Svitolina a bit more comfortably, but Fernandez coming up with big shots. She’s so good at anticipating when an opponent is going to hit a short ball and she races in to close it down and get an easier shot. Svitolina played a tight service game at 2-3, she had the lead and made some errors to let Fernandez back into the game. Fernandez broke and then hold, she’s just not missing, taking the ball super early, moving up into the court and winning points at the net, running Svitolina around. Svitolina looks really tight and doesn’t have the easy power off the forehand and serve that she used so well against Halep. Svitolina’s 2nd serve is tentative and it’s getting crushed. Fernandez was able to serve it out in a tight game. Svitolina isn’t getting enough depth on her shots and although Fernandez through in a few errors, she’s the one who’s totally in control of the rallies. Svitolina needs to find more aggressive angles, get LAF out of the center of the court, get the ball out of her strike zone. Svitolina looks a bit better earlier in the set, more first serves in, but she’s still making too many errors. A lot of talk about the lefty serve jamming her into the body. Svitolina apparently didn’t warm up with a lefty, maybe she’s starting to adjust. Svitolina doing much better now, extending the points, getting LAF out of the center of the court, and making more first serves. She got the break and now she’s up 4-1 in the 2nd. Svitolina doing a much better job taking the ball early too. LAF is not getting 1st serves in. Svitolina just looks worlds better, more speed on the groundstrokes, keeping them lower over the net, broke again to get to 5-1. LAF broke back, Svitolina through in a few errors. The 2nd serve is still very vulnerable. Svitolina has totally let Fernandez back into the set, gotten more passive and missed serves. Fernandez held serve, but then they played an absolutely epic game at 5-3. Svitolina saved 3 break points, including one where she found an incredible on the run passing shot as LAF charged the net. Then she came up with huge clutch shots including an ace on set point to close out the set. I think Svitolina is having trouble reading the toss and anticipating the direction of the serve, just not always making good returns. Fernandez got out of a 0-30 hole in the opening game of the 3rd set. Another tight game on LAF’s serve, Svitolina had a shot at the pass on 15-30, second time this match LAF has anticipated cross court and been there, Svitolina got it to Deuce, hit a wild swinging volley to win a crucial point. Breaks traded in the 3rd set, absolutely epic. Svitolina got into a 0-40 hole on her serve, she save one, but then Fernandez just comes up with this incredible down the line forehand with Svitolina way off the court on the other side. Then on the first point of the next game, Svitolina is completely in charge of the court, hitting shots that would be winners against other players and LAF is getting them back, then she bails with the drop shot which is a huge mistake. The only way she can win big points is with insane angles. And then, on game point another example of a short ball where Svitolina has the chance to get it by LAF and can’t do enough with it to get a winner. LAF movement, defense and and shot making on the run are just absurd. Svitolina got out of a 30-30 service game at 5-2 with back to back aces. Then on LAF service game, LAF was hitting down the line winners but also threw in a couple errors, including a double fault. Then Svitolina played an amazing point where she hit the line several times and drew an error and then despite LAF’s absurd defense finally was able to put it away up at net. Svitolina got up 30-0, but then that pattern, backhand to LAF forehand that ends with her down the line winner, but then Svitolina won long grueling, amazing points, 5-5. Tight game on LAF’s serve, she found some excellent winners at the end of some extremely long rallies, 6-5. Svitolina hit brave winners with the match on line, even holding her nerve after double faulting, 6-6. Apart from 1 error, the tiebreak really was all about Svitolina, she came up with winners, errors, aces, and at 5-5 another of these opportunities to put the ball away at net and she was unable to do it, giving LAF a chance to hit a pass which clipped off the tape and landed in. Svitolina missed the return on match point. Maybe the most dramatic match I’ve ever seen and absolutely crushing for Svitolina, 7-5 in the breaker.

Krejcikova vs Sabalenka

Really scratchy start to the match, Sabalenka is double faulting a lot (4 times in 2 games), Krejcikova is struggling with timing Sabalenka’s serve. Krejcikova may be trying to purposefully shorten points and not get drawn into long rallies, either because of her panic attack thing yesterday or because of Sabalenka’s power. 3 breaks so far, back and forth, 1-3 Sabalenka. Long game on Sabalenka’s serve she’s really having problems with the serve and making a lot of errors, but Krejcikova just can’t get enough serves in play, 1-4. I gave up on taking notes on this match because it was just so poor, Krejcikova made so many errors, although she did get some positive body language going and some holds in the seconds set, by that point her poor play had given Sabalenka so much confidence and she just steamrolled her on her service games, even the couple in the set that she went down 0-30 in. Just very little fight from Barbora, disappointing.

Alcaraz vs Auger-Alliasime

Fairly routine on serve for both players through 5 games. Felix hits more aces, but he’s also having problems getting Carlos’s serve back in play. BG wants FAA to go hard into the Alcaraz forehand to open up more room to attack his backhand. Alcaraz wants to run around his backhand to hit the forehand which opens up the opportunity to attack his forehand corner. FAA made good use of that play to get a couple of break points, but then didn’t get his returns deep enough to stop Alcaraz from doing damage on the groundstrokes. He hung in the game though and hit a big forehand to that same forehand corner to get the break, 4-2. The lack of power on Alcaraz’s serve is a liability, BG thinks there’s less pop on it than there was against Tsitsi. FAA’s serve looks great early. FAA let Carlos back into a 40-0 service game with a couple of double faults and a neutral forehand error, but is strong enough when he makes the first serve to hold on to the game. Alcaraz’s willingness to come in is a real point in his favor. FAA gave away a 0-40 lead on his serve to Carlos with another double fault and an error, but then got it together with some good serving. Alcaraz is standing super deep on the returns, not sure that it’s totally working for him. Felix closed out the set 6-3. Alcaraz is vulnerable on his serve, FAA hit some good returns and got the immediate break to start the 2nd. Carlos may be showing fatigue from the b2b 5 setters. Too many loose errors on the return from FAA allow Alcaraz to hold serve, but otherwise things are looking pretty desperate for him, 1-2. Wow, and Alcaraz had a conversation with the trainer and inexplicably retired. This is no doubt the worst ticket you could have spent money on. From 2:15 am last night to 10:20 tonight. Shocker.

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