ISTRIA, Bnj.—Today, Aqual's new national idols progressed to the championship match of the Istria Open after pulling off yet another upset against Sharktail's Izzat Manson and George Fakhrul, the seventh seeds in the doubles draw. Details from this highly exciting, tight match below.
izzat manson/george fakhrul (SHT) 5 7 4
Bartolo Sabanero/Qualo Tabos (AQL) 7 6 6
The match began with all four players holding their serves with relative comfort, before George Fakhrul serving at two games all faced fierce opposition from the Aqualias' fierce return and aggressive rallies. However, after four deuces and fending off two break points, the Sharktail team managed to hold serve shakily. In fact, they returned the fire back onto Tabos' serve with strong forehand returns right back to his feet and several passing shots which Sabanero could not reach gave Manson and Fakhrul the first break at 4-2. Sharktail then managed to repeat their previous comfortable success on serve earlier in the set with a hold for 5-2. At that point, it began to seem like the set was nearing its close, as the Aqualias would need to win five straight games to come back and win it, as well as three straight just to stay in it at all. However, they were determined to not give up so easily, and they won the following service game with conviction at 40-15 to stay "in it to win it," as the saying goes. They then managed several cross-court passes which neither opposing player could reach for clear winners building up to a break back for 5-4. With Tabos again serving, he clearly learned from his mistakes, giving the Sharktail players less of an opportunity for easy returns by mixing up his angle, pace and spin, providing him with one ace sliced to the inside of the T as well as several easy hits to put the set back on serve. With Manson serving, Tabos managed to attack the shot after the return from his position near the net (this tournament has certainly highlighted his skills as a volleyer). Combined with Sabanero forcing errors from topspin groundstrokes at the baseline, they again managed to break serve and go up for the first time at 6-5. This same style of play was key to Sabanero's next service game, with Tabos always at the net ready for the Sharktail return, and they won decisively in that game to claim the set 7-5.
In the next set, the Aqualias continued to pressure Fakhrul's serve with the same strategy, breaking early in the second with the momentum from winning the first. They were forced to change strategy in the following game, however, with Tabos serving, but this adaptation seemed to help keep the Sharktail team guessing, leading to a 2-0 lead. Finally, Manson managed to end the Aqualias' seven game run, holding after the first deuce with the aid of some forced errors. Sabanero and Tabos fell back to their so successful strategy in the next game and once again won with Sabanero serving to maintain a 3-1 lead. This cycle repeated itself during the middle part of the set, with all four players again managing to hold serve as they had done at the beginning of the match. Then, with Sabanero serving for the match at 5-3, his normally solid serve faltered under the pressure of attempting to close out a semifinal match with not only the many Aqualias present in the Istrian crowd but also the many millions back home watching. After breaking, Fakhrul held serve with a reinvigorated spirit to go even for 5-all. However, determined not to hand over the set, Tabos managed a very impressive service game of his own to force Manson to serve to stay in the set, which he did successfully to force the set to a tiebreak. There, the Aqualias' nerves were obviously high, and they managed only three points while putting up five unforced errors to give the Sharktail team the set 7-6(3).
Although other players might become dejected after losing the set in such a manner, Sabanero and Tabos instead became much more passionate, breaking Fakhrul's serve to love. However, doing so in turn gave reason for the players from Sharktail to also raise their level, which they did to break back in the following game before holding on Manson's serve to lead 2-1. They then repeated their aggressive returns to Tabos' serve seen in the first set to break again for a 3-1 lead. With Fakhrul serving, the tables had completely turned on the Aqualian players—going from being up 0-40 a few games ago to now being down 40-0. Although they managed to rebound somewhat by staving off two game points, the Sharktail team ultimately won on the third to extend their lead to four games to one. With Manson and Fakhrul looking for a double break to all but seal their ticket to the finals, the old Aqualian strategy with Sabanero serving and Tabos at the net proved yet again to be too much, and they held for 4-2. The so-called "crucial seventh game" once again showed that it is a term not to be brushed off as mere folly, with Sabanero and Tabos finally turning around their return game, restoring what it looked like towards the end of the first set and beginning of the second. They managed to break back with two winners and two forced errors to really pull themselves back into the match. With new momentum serving at 4-3, Tabos' serves expertly manipulated the opponents into returning the ball right into Sabanero's wheelhouse at the net. The Sharktail team seemed almost surprised that they all of a sudden found themselves tied at four games all; Fakhrul's serve lost its usual touch and he even double faulted twice in that game to give the Aqualias the chance to serve out the match at 5-4. And serve it out they did, with Sabanero's powerful serves and groundstrokes complementing so well Tabos' expert technique and instincts at the net. An incredibly close and meaningful 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 victory.
At their post-match interview, Qualo Tabos, when presented with a question regarding the significance of advancing to the finals by a Toboso Chronicle reporter, responded that "coming into this tournament, not much was expected of us, and, to be honest, we never really could have expected this ourselves. It is truly surreal to be in the finals of our very first international tournament with the opportunity to play against incredible players for the championship tomorrow."
We hope that you will, in fact, join us for that championship match tomorrow, with live video, radio and updates all on our website as Sabanero and Tabos face off against the highest seeded team from Pemecutan, who have performed exceptionally well this tournament, dominating their last match against the thirteenth seeds who had themselves been playing well, dropping only two games. Throughout the entire week, Komang Antari and Kadek Andreawati have not lost a single set. Sabanero and Tabos hope to change that tomorrow, though, and if they are able to maintain the momentum they had during their respective seven- and five-game runs during the early and late parts of the match today for the entirety of their match tomorrow, they may be able to do just that and pull off yet another stunning upset.
