Top 3 Stories From the Citiz Open
3. Unseeded Players Square Off in Fourth Round After One Wins 8-6 in the Fifth Set
Thirteen of the sixteen remaining competitors in the Citiz Open are seeded, but at least one unseeded player is guaranteed a coveted spot in the quarterfinals. It will be either Kip Wilson, 82nd on the CCC tour, or Sid Austin, ranked 86th. It is extremely strange and rare to see such unheralded players make such deep runs, but that is the reality of professional tennis.
Wilson survived a challenging first-round match with Pascale Martin, the young Cotdelapomais with vast potential but not yet the results to validate expectations. Martin opened a two-sets-to-one lead, but Wilson managed to come back and claim the fifth set, 7-5. Wilson, a Norfolk native, then eliminated the eighteenth seed, Ashley Little - in straight sets, no less. Looking completely flat and unenergized, Little succumbed to Wilson's pesky consistency in a shade under two hours. His latest victim was another foreigner: Gerard Jenkins, a powerful Yesopalithan. The first set sided with Jenkins - Wilson seemed deflated and was bothered by heavy wind on Court 3 - but Wilson had little trouble dispatching of his opponent in the next three sets.
The road to the fourth round hasn't been so relaxing for Austin. His first round scoreline was strange: won a first-set tiebreaker, then took the second and fourth sets 6-1 - but dropped a set in the middle, 6-1 as well. Austin said afterwards that even though he lost a set, the only truly taxing moment of the match versus Clive Barker, who emigrated from Krytenia when he was two, was during the tiebreaker. Austin had the rare benefit of facing another unseeded competitor in the second round; and Mercia Colbert was no competition at all for him. Known for a powerful serve as well as an ultra-consistent backhand, Austin only conceded eight games to Colbert in advancing. The only man standing between him and a date with Wilson was Easton Wheaton, a pesky up-and-coming 23-year-old who was coming off an upset of eight seed Nicole Williams. Austin raced out of the gates, Wheaton unable to adjust the limelight, and Austin lost just one game in the first set. After that, Wheaton managed to settle down and claimed the next two sets. Perhaps his reason for losing another set 6-1 was a lack of energy - but that doesn't seem to carry weight when one considers that the fifth set lasted fourteen games. Austin broke at 6-all and, with the clock hitting 4 hours 19 minutes, he held serve to close out the match.
The upcoming match may not be the most high-level, but it will certainly be intense. Opportunities are few for unseeded players - those not in the top twenty-four - manage to shine on such a grand stage, and at such a critical juncture of the tournament.
2. Featured Match is a Total Dud as Birch Smashes Farnell
Court Major was abuzz. Vittoria Panaro had dropped two sets to unheralded Audrey Starr; Brandon Rodden, a budding star (with one r), lost a set himself in his second round contest. But the tennis was about to reach another stratosphere: two great Citiz stars, nearly equal in rank and stature, were walking onto the biggest court in tennis to play the biggest match on the biggest stage. The stadium filled to capacity as the players warmed up. On the north side, Chelsea Farnell, the fifteenth seed, one of the most accomplished female tennis players Civil Citizenry has been graced to have, a fixture in major competitions for well over a decade. On the south side stood Tate Birch, the hero of the World Team Tennis Cup, often the second banana to Al Hamilton but nevertheless a champion himself, ranked seventeenth. If ever there were to be a memorable classic in the early rounds, it would be this one.
The hype was for naught. Birch, aging but still possessing an effective power game, blew Farnell off the court. She is 33, mind, and it is not so unfathomable that she could not handle the pace. But for a top-fifteen player, this was an embarrassment. She won only seven games, and none in the final set, as Birch advanced without much energy lost. "It's disappointing, yeah," Farnell admitted afterwards. "You never want to go out like that in front of a home crowd. Too much support goes to waste too early. Feel like I let down the fans, for sure."
Though he expected a real battle, the 32-year-old was certainly pleased to have romped. "You always want a good match," Birch said, "but look, now I can go into the next round feeling rested and confident." He's going to need it: his next opponent is Brandon Rodden, the third seed and one of the world's most dominant hard-court players. He has not lost in several weeks. THAT is sure to be a true classic!
1. Second Seed Dlouhý Stunned in Third Round
It was surprising enough that the lowest-ranked professional tennis player in Civil Citizenry had won five games off world number two Novak Dlouhý. But if that wasn't enough, Kenna Kimball reeled off three consecutive sets to pull off one of the greatest upsets in tennis history. The second seed is already eliminated, at the hands of a crafty righty with great hands, soft touch, and an ultra-solid mental state.
Dlouhý got off to a solid start this season, winning in Brevin and reaching the semifinals of Blubay. His results earned him a solid number two ranking, well ahead of Brandon Rodden and only a few points behind compatriot Vittoria Panaro. But this shocking defeat will certainly push him down the rankings a sizable amount. Already a winner of $400,000, he will walk away with $90,000 - pretty good for a week's worth of work, but very disappointing for someone who could have multiplied that total with a deeper run.
The question to be asked now isn't whether Dlouhý will continue to play at a high level - there are few doubts that he will - but whether Kimball can continue conjuring the same magic as the tournament progresses. Her next opponent is Rob Westby, a powerful lefty who is a tough matchup for anyone. Westby will be tired after winning a grueling duel with Danny Greenwood, but his skill clearly outmatches Kimball, who came to Bartewick 0-2 on the tour this season. It would be amazing for Kimball to continue winning - but then again, with her shocking victory over Dlouhý in mind, perhaps it's not so impossible.
