CricSim Tennis: Newport [G] and Bogota [IH]

Bogotá

• Fourth seed Ivan Ryabovol was first in action on centre court, as he played England's Chad Dyer. In their previous meeting, Ryabovol proved too much for Dyer, and it looked to be the case again here as he took a 2-0 lead. Dyer broke back, was handing Ryabovol too many chances on serve, with the big Queenslander earning a second service break to take the first 6-4. Dyer continued to toil on serve, while the Queenslander became more confident and entered his stride. Down 0-4, Dyer could not stage a fightback as Ryabovol eased to victory on serve 6-4, 6-2.

• His opponent will be second seed Alex O'Driscoll, whose first set tiebreak performance proved too good for J.H. Ridd. In a tight first set, Ridd took what looked to be a decisive upper hand in the first set tiebreaker, as he surged ahead 5-2. Unfortunately for him, though, O'Driscoll put together five points on the trot to outrageously steal the first set breaker 7-5. Ridd never captured the form of the first set, and after going down a break early in the second, was bundled out in straight sets 6-7(5), 3-6.

• In the doubles draw, Ivan Ryabovol/Samuel Vimes were defeated by Joshua Ritchie/Lucas Schaw 5-7, 6-3, [10-7], and top seeds Chad Dyer/Paulson Reframe hammered Matt James/Shane Masters 6-2, 6-0.

 

Newport

• Second seed Jonty Rhodes has advanced to the semi-finals in Newport, following another impressive victory - this time over Jake Howe. The lumbering Kiwi has let fly with some of the biggest serves over the past two weeks, and it was no different here as Howe went at least one serve game without getting a racquet on the ball. He fought hard, but came up short against Rhodes, who one suspects might be found out on slower surfaces. Nevertheless, he advanced 6-3, 6-3.

• He will play qualifier Marquis Deane next, who looked ice-cool in tiebreakers during his three-set win over Eddie Morris. While Morris bossed the second set, he was handily beaten by the calmer Deane during the tiebreakers, with the youngster causing him troubles out wide and finishing both sets off with a volley. His 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(3) win sets up what is almost certain to be a serve fest against Rhodes in the semis.

• In doubles action, top seeds Jonty Rhodes/Gareth Weaver were irresistible in their 7-5, 6-0 win over Ginger Furball/James McDougal, and second seeds Nigel Scott/Alistair Son started off their week well with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-4, [10-6] win over Bruce Force/Jordan Logan.

 

Bogotá

• Kiwi qualifier Lucas Schaw moved one step closer to a finals berth in Colombia, following a three-set win over Shane Masters. The Victorian veteran started far better, as he used his experience to bully Schaw around the court and take the first set 7-0 in the tiebreaker. But the hard-hitting Kiwi lifted his game substantially after the tiebreak horror, to cause Masters all sorts of troubles with an all-court game that belied his low ranking. The veteran ran out of puff and ideas, as Schaw advanced to the semi-finals 6-7(0), 6-2, 6-2.

• That upset first up on court one wasn't anything compared to the marquee match, as top seed Samuel Vimes suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of qualifier James Torres. In an entertaining bout between two talented players, Vimes showed no signs of the dominance of his first round match, as it became clear that Torres was after a scrap. Sensing his chance, Torres took the first set 6-2, and forced Vimes to serve to stay in the match twice in the second set - even bringing up a match point in the twelfth game. Vimes held on, though, and despite the momentum being with the Kiwi, he took the tiebreaker with a professional performance 7-4. But Torres was not about to let the occasion get to him, and his third set performance was clinical - breaking early, and never letting the high quality returner in Vimes get a chance to find his way back into the contest. Torres' 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 win sets up an all Kiwi qualifier showdown in the semifinals. It is a huge change for Torres, who was bundled out 1 and 3 in the first round in Den Bosch last week.

• In doubles action, second seeds Alex O'Driscoll/Luka Popovic snuck into the semifinals with a heart-stopping 6-7(4), 6-0, [10-8] win over Regan Hutchinson/Samuel Yates. Elsewhere, Ezequiel Ames/J.H. Ridd set up another showdown with Dyer/Reframe, following their 6-0, 6-2 mauling of Boshtrich Burger/Jono Chewie. Dyer/Reframe won the last meeting two and five.

 

Newport - Doubles

• With the singles semifinalists given a well-deserved rest, the doubles semifinals were on show in Rhode Island. In the first, top seeds Jonty Rhodes/Gareth Weaver were looking to quickly rush through their match with Morgan Burridge/Ether Starris, with Rhodes looking for maximum rest ahead of his singles semi-final appearance. Burridge/Starris put up a fight, though, and caused them troubles right throughout a competitive contest. Ultimately, though, the veteran pairing prevailed in straight tiebreakers 7-6(5), 7-6(2), with Burridge suffering his second defeat to the Kiwi duo with different partners.

• They will play 's-Hertogenbosch champions Nigel Scott/Alistair Son, following their 6-2, 7-6(2) win over Leumas Himann/Chad Ochocinco. After an uncompetitive start, Himann/Ochocinco lifted in the second set, but were matched most of the way by the Victorian duo. Making it five wins on the trot, Scott/Son produced their best tennis in the tiebreaker, which they won 7-2.

 

Bogotá - Doubles

• In a too-ing and fro-ing affair, second seeds Alex O'Driscoll/Luka Popovic were bounced out in a match tiebreaker by the impressive Kiwi duo Joshua Ritchie/Lucas Schaw. With O'Driscoll and Schaw set to compete in singles semi-finals tomorrow, it was left to Popovic and Ritchie to do a lot of the grunt work, though it would be unfair to say that their hearts weren't in it. After trading tiebreakers in an entertaining affair, it was the Ritchie/Schaw pairing that got the better of the match tiebreaker as they secured a finals berth 7-6(4), 6-7(6), [10-5].

• They will play unseeded English duo Ezequiel Ames/J.H. Ridd, who came back from a horror start to oust top seeds Chad Dyer/Paulson Reframe. It looked like they were going to be on the end of another flogging, as Dyer/Reframe took the first set 6-1, but an energised Ridd inspired them to take the second set with a heroic pair of bankhand winners at a crucial stage of the second set tiebreaker. That set the scene for a big match tiebreaker, which Ames/Ridd stole unashamedly to secure a 1-6, 7-6(4), [10-7] boilover.

 

Disasterous.