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Tennis special - The AOpen II
After their successes yesterday, the second group of Schottic AOpen hopefuls got their campaigns underway today at the Olympic Tennis Centre. Most notable out on court were, long time fans favourite Luke Pool, along with the hotly tipped double act of Ken Gates and Rob Westfelt, as they tried to avoid any potential banana skins out there on the Krytenian lawns.
It's not very often in tennis that doubles takes centre stage, but that was exactly what happened as eight seeds Gates and Westflet took to South Court, for their match with Anthoran pair, David Branson, Donovan MacBride. With the exception of Krumins, who is currently ranked fifth on year to date, the veteran pair were seen as the Tyranian nation's best chance of a title here on the hallowed lawns. After Westfelt's incredible victory yesterday in the singles, we were all expecting more of the same, but that's not exactly how it worked out. After wining a passionately contested tiebreak to take the third set and move two one up, the pair suffered a terminal collapse losing the final two sets 6-0 6-2 to crash out at the first hurdle. This will be of huge disappointment to the duo, who were on good form coming into this, and will have hoped to have gone far.
Switching our attention back to the singles for the time being, the next big match for Schottia was national number two, Luke Pool, taking on countrywoman Alba Baxter. After a very good hard court season, Pool's grass court form has been pretty dire by comparison, and former national junior champ Baxter may have fancied her chances. However, after winning a first set tiebreak 11-9, Pool made his experience show, as he served two near flawless sets to take the match 7-6 (11-9) 6-1 6-4. On this surface, if the player can keep serving like that, then he may have a chance yet to spring something of a surprise in the tournament. For Baxter however, she will need to go away and have a think about where she can improve on her defensive game.
Pool joined teammate John Muir in the second round, after the 19-year-old wasted little time in dispatching of Cathal Conneally. The temperamental big hitter has often been criticised for his on court attitude, and consistency. However on this occasion, there were no code violations, and no smashed rackets, as he went through in straight sets. Muir held serve very well throughout the match, and while he needed a tiebreak in the first, the result never really looked in any doubt. Currently on a decent run of form, Muir will definitely have his targets set on breaking into the top thirty before the end of the season, setting himself up nicely for next year.
Elsewhere on the outer courts, another young player who has had problems for different reasons, also made it through also. Adam Gory put in an unusually flawless performance against Serbian Marika Kanepi-Vukovic, as he booked a place in round two 6-2 6-4 6-2. Also 19, Gory is another player who will be looking to end the year on a high. He now sets up a potential third round glamour tie with world number one Botack Andiam, but only if he is able to negotiate the potentially tricky 32nd seed, Martin Bond. Gory was also in doubles action today, after he and doubles partner Cathy Krumins came through the qualifiers. Perhaps fatigue played a part though, as they lost rather convincingly to Kiersten Bullock and Reina Jaber of Eastfield Lodge, 6-2 6-2 6-3.
Finally there was huge disappointment for Eliza Reusmann, a player whom we had big hopes for here in Emberton. The 23-year-old got off to a terrible start against Alexander Linip, losing the first two sets 7-6 (7-3) 7-5. She managed to rally however, but despite taking the second two sets 6-3 6-1, it was too little too late, as she went on to lose a mammoth fifth set 11-9. For Reusmann, her poor run in the slams continues, and in terms of her inability to break into the top twenty, these lost ranking points are a lot of the reason.
