Singapore Futures: First Futures Quarterfinal!

After qualifying for the main draw in my 1^st week in Singapore, the 2^nd week was tougher as I barely made it into the qualifying draw despite having an ATP point. The field was deep as nearly everyone had points except for the wildcards from Singapore. I faced off against the #7 seed, James Frawley,  from Australia who is currently ranked #950 ATP. His gamestyle varied as he could play aggressive from the baseline and take time away while also defending well. He had a solid one-handed backhand and mixed in a good slice.

I started off the match receiveding and had 3 break points on his serve in the first game at 0-40. I had an opportunity on the first one but didn’t convert and he saved the next couple with good serves and aggressive plays. He ended up holding at Deuce. In my first service game, I also got down early and saved 2 break points while coming back from 15-40. We each held our next two service games but they weren’t necessarily easy as there were many chances for both of us. It was a weird start to the match as we both had numerous opportunities but neither of us converted and the score was 3-3. He played a great return game in the next game to break me with 2 good passing shots and an inside-out forehand winner to get the break. I had 2 break points in the next game to get it back on serve but he saved them both. So serving at 3-5 in the 1^st set we had a marathon game that was at least 10 Deuces. Unfortuantely I lost that game and the first set in a close set with a few points being the difference. He kept the momentum to start the second set by breaking me to go up 3-1 with some solid tennis. I responded and played 2 good games to break and hold to even it at 3-3. He broke me gain to take a 5-3 lead and once again came up clutch and saved 2 break points. I thought this was a decent match from me, but I needed to serve a little better and get more free points. Credit to him as he returned well and that was the difference in the 3-6, 3-6 scoreline.

I didn’t get into the doubles of the 2^nd week as it was a tough cutoff. Thus after losing in the 1^st round of Qualifyig on Saturday, I would have a full week off before my next match. I took one day off before training hard the next week. Although it was good to be able to practice, it’s tough because all the matches are still being played and you want to be out there competing. But I worked hard and practiced twice everyday in addition to hitting my daily 100 serves. Usually when you only have a few days in between you don’t have time to work on things as you are just trying to stay in rhythm. But this was different because I was able to work on specific things in the morning and then play practice sets in the afternoon.

After training all week I was eager to get out there and play a competitve match to start the 3^rd week. I was scheduled to play a younger kid from Thailand at 1PM but there was a long rain delay and I didn’t end up going on until 8PM. This was a new type of challenge as it is tough sitting around all day and then playing so late at night. He was a baseliner who had a good forehand but I was able to attack his serve and get on the offense early. I was serving solid and moving the ball around from the basleline. I ended up winning 6-0, 6-1 in the 1^st round of Qualifying.

The next day I faced off against the #7 seed in Qualifying, Moerani Bouzige, from Australia. He is currently ranked #1200 and has a big 1^st serve and flat groundstrokes and likes to finish off points at the net. I got off to a good start against him by hitting a 2^nd serve return winner to get the break. I maintained my lead and had another break point at 4-2 to go up a double break but he saved it with a big serve. He ended up holding before there was an incredibly long game on my serve that lasted around 15 deuces. Early on he had multiple chances to break and I came up with good shots to save them until I had a few game points but couldn’t convert. I had a fairly easy volley but pushed it wide on one of them. Evnetually he broke me after hitting a big forehand to even it at 4-4. We both held our next service games and he was serving at 30-15 at 5-5 when it started raining. There was an hour delay before we returned to the court. I knew it was important to get a good start as I had the momentum in the beginning  before he broke me in the long game. I came out hot and won the first 3 points after the rain delay to break him after coming to the net off a good approach to take the 6-5 lead. I served out the set at 40-15 with some big serves to to take it 7-5. In the second set I raised my level as I hit some great returns and a big forehand passing shot to get the break to go up 3-1. I was getting more free points off my serve in the second set and holding fairly easy. I held to go up 5-3 before I broke him at love to take the match. This was a good match from me as I did a lot of things well and I was excited to qualify for my 2^nd main draw in 2 weeks!

I had one day off before my first round of the main draw on Tuesday. I faced off against a guy from Singapore who was given a WC. He is a solid player, I had practiced with him earlier in the week and he has good groundstrokes and likes dictating with his forehand. I jumped out to a quick start by breaking him in the 1^st game and getting a quick hold. He held in a long game on his serve to get on the board. I was serving well that day and getting free points and winning a good amount of points at net. I broke him again before serving out the first set 6-1. The second set started similarly as I broke him in the 1^st game by hitting a few good returns and passing shots. I got a quick hold and broke him again to go up a double break at 4-0. However, this is where I lost a little bit of focus as I played a loose game on my serve with a few errors going after my shots. He played a good game to hold serve to cut the lead to 4-2. He then played a good return game by passing me twice and I threw in a double fault and an unforced error. But I re-focused here and after losing the 1^st point at 4-3, I won the next 4 points by playing solid and moving him side to side. I served out the match at 40-15 with an unreturnable serve to take a good 6-1, 6-3 win. I picked up my 2^nd career ATP point and my first since Portugal last August.

In the 2^nd round of the main draw I played against Jeremy Beale from Australia, who is currently #720 ATP. He is a good player with a high level that can be untouchable at times. He is a lefty with a huge serve that has been clocked at 140mph and he can hit every serve. He hits a heavy ball and likes to dominate with his forehand from the middle of the court. We both started off with a hold in the first game but I broke him in his 2^nd service game to take a 2-1 lead. I was returning well and putting a lot of balls in and trying to stretch him wide as he is most comforrtable from the middle of the court. He played a good game to break me to even it at 2-2. But I responded right back with another break as I hit a few passing shots and good approaches to get the break. My serve started to click as I was mixing in the serve/volley so he couldn’t just block back my serve. I got a solid hold for 4-2 before breaking him again to take a 5-2 lead. I served out the set at love to take a great first set by playing solid tennis and serving and returning well. In the second set we both were getting fairly easy holds in each of our first few service games. His serve was untouchable for a few games as he was mixing up the big flat and nasty lefty slice. I was serving at 3-4 when he broke me by hitting 3 winners in that game, not much that I could have done. But I fought back when he served for the set by saving a few set points and battling him in a long Deuce game on his serve. I finally broke back to make it 4-5 with a backhand winner. I lost my focus a little bit here as I threw in a double fault and an unforced error before he hit a winner to take the set. Thus we split sets and would play a decider.

We both held in our first service game until I got the first break in the 3^rd set to go up 2-1. I again couldn’t sustain my momentum as he broke me right back by playing a good return game. At 3-3, I played a solid return game and went up a break 4-3. My serve let me down a little bit here as I threw in 2 double faults and he hit a huge running  forehand down the line winner to break back. I had 2 break points at 4-4 to serve for the match but he came up with big serves on both of those points. We both ended up holding for 5-5. This was another long game on his serve where we were battling back and forth. On my break point he hit a huge serve that I blocked back and then hit a great backhand passing shot to serve for the match. At 6-5, he didn’t give me much that game as he competed hard and kept the ball deep and returned well. A 3^rd set tiebreak would decide the match. I got up the early mini-break 3-1 and we traded service points until I lead 4-2. I was serving at 4-2 and I came to the net and hit a good overhead and he took a big cut on his forehand and connected for a winner. I won one of the points on his serve so I was serving at 5-4 in the tiebreak and hit a good approach but didn’t hit a good enough volley. I hit an unreturnable serve to go up 6-5 and have my first match point. He hit a nasty slice out wide ace to save it. At 6-6 I played a good point by forcing an error from him to get another match point. I hit a big serve up the T and followed it up with a winner to take a hard fought 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(6) win and reach my first Futures quarterfinal! This was a big win as I had to stay mentally tough even when he was playing well.

In the quarters I faced off against another Aussie, Daniel Nolan. His gamestyle is a heavy baseliner who likes his forehand from the middle of the court, he has a good backhand and he moves well and passes well. He isn’t know for having a great serve but he was placing it very well in the corners and starting off the point on the offense. We both traded holds in the first 2 service games and it was even at 2-2. However, he held and played a good game to break me to go up 4-2. I was serving ok but needed to have a higher first serve % and hurt him more early in the point. He broke me in another long service game before serving out the set 6-2. There were a lot of long games but my return wasn’t good enough as I wasn’t getting any looks on his serve. This gave him confidence to go after it when he was returning. We each held in our first service game and I saved 2 break points and came back to get a good hold to make it 2-2. This is where I had my only break point of the match on his serve, I had a good look at a backhand and hit the tape. I battled in another service game to make it 3-3. My opponent held again to put the pressure back on me. At 3-4 I was serving at 30-30 when I serve and volleyed off a good T serve and hit what I thought was a forehand volley winner on the insdie part of the line. However I got a tough call and he broke me on the next point. I fought hard when he was serving for it at 5-3 but couldn’t quite comeback. I lost a tough match 2-6, 3-6. This match was a decent level but I needed to serve better and get in more of his servie games. I was having success coming to the net against him but needed to pick my spots better.

Overall it was a great tournament that I can take a lot away from. It is great to pick up 2 more ATP points. I earned $400 for making it to the quarterfinals in singles. I am off to Korea for a few more tournaments. Excited to keep going after it. 

"The whole idea is to get an edge. Sometimes it takes just a little extra something to get that edge, but you have to have it."  -Don Shula