My Umag Adventure

[Brinyi]

Queen said:

Paul Henri Mattieu is coming to mind all of a sudden... can't imagine why Although it was funny when he did it against Andre... too bad he fell short

Yes, P-HM has a bit of that going on.

[Layla]

FRIDAY, July 25

Players are progressively harder to spot practicing, must be because they get center court. Nevertheless, I watched Volandri practice again for a while and just missed Alberto Martin and David Ferrer as a consequence, which is a shame. I wanted to take a pic of that cutie Alberto. I heard Nadal on center court from miles away. I was really, really hoping to catch some more of my new fave, Magnus, but alas! Back when I didn’t care, he was everywhere. I also watched Perry and Shimada, since I had nothing better to do.

The first match was my popcorn match, Rafael NADAL vs. Magnus NORMAN 6:3 6:4

My two new faves, battling it out! I was so lucky in this tournament, I got to see so many brilliant matches of the highest quality and this was definitely one of them. Norman fought bravely, at times he had control over the points and the match, but not for long. Nadal killed him in the end. And his weapon of choice shows you that Rafael has a brain as well as muscles, because he knows how to pick his tactics. He would bombard Magnus with awe-inspiring blasts left and right, roaring every time, then he would suddenly go all quiet and throw in a deadly dropshot. It worked every single time, because Norman is still not as quick as he used to be after all these injuries. He’s quite the dropshot artist, Nadal is. I had no idea. He very, very rarely missed one. At the end, my elation was cut short by the sight of the distraught Norman. My heart sank because I felt so sorry for him. When he left the court, he even stopped to sign a few autographs (like I said, he is very much loved here) and his hand was shaking so badly he could barely hold a pencil. It was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen, but I wanted to cry, I really did. I wish I could give him a big hug, he looked like he needed it. He was on the verge of achieving something really special, but he just fell short once again.

Meanwhile, Hrbaty and Martin were playing on the next court and I could hear the damn supporters loud and clear. They were even disrupting this match. No wonder Alberto lost even though he was leading when I last saw the score.

The second match on center court was Carlos MOYA vs. David FERRER 6:1 6:2

I think it’s safe to say this was the most boring match of the tournament. What a dreadful match! Moya played worse than ever in this tournament. He said he played very well, but don’t you believe him, he made far too many unforced errors. But the problem is, he didn’t even have to try, because poor David simply wasn’t there and Carlos slaughtered him, as you can see from the scoreline. It was an error fest with occasional moments. David couldn’t serve to save his life. He made at least one double fault in every game, usually more. Dreadful, but at least Moya was through to the semis for the long-awaited Moya-Nadal rematch. Carlos said some comforting words to David at the net, but he was obviously pleased he still ruled.

[Layla]

Filippo VOLANDRI vs. Fernando GONZALEZ

And now for THE most dramatic match of the tournament, hands down. I didn't know that, but Gonzalez had some stomach problems prior to the match and his knee was strapped. He was certainly very irritable on court and just didn't seem happy to be there at all. He played very well though, at least in the beginning. The first set was strange. Gonzalez began to serve, and right away, Volandri got 2 breakpoints, to which Gonzo responded with an ace and a too-powerful service winner, giving Volandri no chance, then Filippo forced a bit too much and the game was over. Then Volandri held easily, Gonzo making mistakes. 1-1 In the next game, Volandri again earns 2 breakpoints, and again it’s the same story. Actually, this was quite a long game and Volandri didn’t exactly take his chances, or rather, he was too eager to take them. Gonzalez is such a fearsome player, he really is. I’m always terrified when one of my faves playes against him. Then they both held until 3-2 for Gonzo, and then Volandri went down 15-40. He saved the first breakpoint with a well-constructed point, finishing it off with a beautiful volley. But on the second one, he got ripped apart. Gonzalez blasted a fierce return and then bombarded him, keeping him on the backfoot and finishing him off with a volley. Volandri had no chance. He hung in there until the end of the set and was very consistent, but Gonzo was basically too powerful. In the very next game, he again earned himself a break point, and then he got screwed when his return was in but the linejudge screamed out. The umpire then overruled it and they had to replay the point. This must have played on Volandri’s mind because he had a wonderful opportunity, but he smacked a tricky backhand straight into the net, throwing down his racquet in disgust. It really was a bad mistake, and a crucial one. Then he held easily again, and in the next game, Gonzalez serving for the set, he plays brilliantly, using all his weapons wisely, and secures a rebreak. But that doesn’t help him much, because at 40-40, on his serve, he makes 2 really uncharacteristic unforced errors, one on the forehand and one on the backhand side, and loses the set.

In the second set, Gonzalez got a bit lost, he started making more mistakes, started serving poorly, kept going for dropshots which he either couldn’t pull off or they just gave Volandri an opportunity to hit a winner, and Volandri took full control. At 2-2, Gonzalez played a terrible game and gave him the break, which was duly consolidated. Volandri was playing better and better. At 4-2, he had 2 points for a double break and he took the first one. He served out for the set and that was that.

I thought this was a normal dip in form for Gonzalez, he’s usually up and down. I fully expected him to come back in full force, which he did, well not full force, but he was angry enough to be dangerous, though he was still erratic. He really played very angrily, full of venom, which I didn’t appreciate. The third set couldn’t have been tighter. In the first games, they both had breakpoints until Volandri finally broke Gonzalez for 2*-1, at which Gonzalez broke his racquet. But he broke back immediately with terrible fierceness that to me was like watching Serena. *eugh* In the next game, Gonzalez held to love. They both seemed very tired by this point. Again, Gonzalez had a break point, which Volandri saved with a brilliant backhand down the line and held. Then at 4-3, after a long and exciting game, Gonzalez finally manages to break Volandri and prepares to serve for the match, 5-3. But Volandri puts up too much off a fight and Gonzalez’s first serve goes missing. Volandri breaks back. *whew*

Volandri serves to stay in the match and begins with a double fault – bad omen. Gonzalez turns up the heat and soon it’s 15-40, 2 match points! But Gonzalez gets so sick he throws up at the side of the court, goes to his chair and asks for time-out – on MATCH POINT! Volandri is nervous as hell. His serve is not dependable anyway, and now this. Finally Gonzalez gets up to loud cheers and continues. He can barely stand but he can still produce the same powerful shots. At the first match point, Gonzalez had Volandri on the ropes, he held the match in the palm of his hand. If it weren’t for Volandri’s amazing ability to get everything back and poor judgment when he opted for inside out instead of hitting the ball into an open court, this match would have been over. But it wasn’t. On the second one he went for too much, too soon and it was deuce. But the game still wasn’t over, there was a 3rd match point. Volandri hung in there until Gonzalez made a mistake. Then it’s finally game point (I couldn’t take much more of this) and Volandri produces the best shot I’ve ever seen to secure 5-5. After another one of Gonzo’s bombs, Volandri hits a defensive lob, to which Gonzalez duly responds with an smash, and I mean a proper one, forceful with a high kick, practically unreturnable, but Volandri jumps up and smacks a backhand winner past Gonzalez, quite deep into the court. How on earth he saved that point is beyond me. I know I can’t describe it well enough but the crowd went crazy. For the first time, there was a standing ovation. Everyone was on their feet. After this, the momentum was with Volandri and he broke Gonzalez once again. Unfortunately, Volandri got really tight serving for the match. He got off to a good start 30-0, but he was too tentative and Gonzalez took advantage of that. At 30-40, he throws a double fault. He manages to get to match point anyway, but it’s cancelled by a fierce and daring return. Then Volandri got broken back and the match went into a tie-break. It’s amazing that Gonzalez didn’t retire. I couldn’t even watch him, it was too painful, and at one point he slipped and fell and didn’t look like he wanted to get up at all. In the tie-break, they both started a bit tentatively, but Gonzalez once again tried to finish points early and made mistakes. Volandri takes a 6-4 lead and arrives at yet another match point. His nervousness was palpable, I think he might have been shaking a bit. I thought here we go again, but he held his nerve and after a few regular shots, Gonzalez gets impatient and smacks the ball into the net. Game over.

I was immensely relieved. Had Gonzalez won, I don’t think he’d been able to play the next day and that would have been absolutely dreadful. I’ve already had on evening with nothing to do, I didn’t want any more. When they shook hands at the net, Volandri went to hug Gonzalez, but he would have none of it. My head was spinning after the match. I’ve never experienced such a nervous match in person and it’s much worse this way, because you can hear everyone around you screaming for the opponent and cheer for your guy’s mistakes, something that doesn’t happen at home. I got into an argument with the guy behind me because he yelled out very loudly in the middle of the point, even though there was no call. He couldn’t understand that such behavior was disruptive to the players. I was so mad at him and completely on edge. Plus with Volandri’s nervousness, I didn’t know what to expect. I almost died watching that match. Hurrah for Filippo!

[Layla]

Ok, now I can talk about Filippo a bit more. First of all, he seems like a sweet, good-natured, humble guy. I like his behavior on court. I’ve seen him clap his opponent’s shots several times. He said he was dead tired towards the end and wasn’t sure if he could finish the match, but he heard the crowd cheering for him and he felt he had to give something back. A lot of the people were cheering for Gonzalez as well, but I think he lost a few supporters with his behavior. I can’t say that I blame him, he was sick and had no energy, but he didn’t exactly endear himself to the crowd. He was surly, he fussed about the balls all the time, which the crowd didn’t appreciate at all. Even before he threw up, he was always late going back to the court and made everyone wait quite a while. One time, the umpire had to urge him to get off his chair.

Volandri’s serve is indeed a weakness, as has been said before, which makes his service games vulnerable. It’s just too weak, it has no zing, though it can be effective because the opponents often overreact and hit the return too hard. Moya did that a few times. He will have to seriously work on that. I don’t know how his game will fare on the hard courts, he would have to improve his serve to be really successful and to dictate play a bit more. He could also improve his net game, though there were a few points where he volleyed very successfully.

He has beautiful ground-strokes, I find them strangely elegant, graceful, especially his backhand, which is my favorite Volandri shot. I heard the commentator say it’s his weaker shot but I don’t agree. I noticed it in some claycourt tournament on tv and it was the first thing I noticed about it. So I’d say both wings are looking good. He has just enough power behind his shots for them to be very effective, and he (usually) hits them with pinpoint precision. But most importantly, he can get anything back into the court. He returned several volleys and smashes that other players probably wouldn’t even bother to reach. No volley or smash is safe with him. And his returns can also be spectacular. He’s obviously a fighter, which he proved with this match and in the final. He remains calm on court (apart from that nervousness on match point, which is understandable) and he saved himself from trouble several times in this match by not panicking. I don’t know about other tournaments, but in this tournament, he played like a top 20 player, and he always got better and better as the match progressed. He impressed everyone and I bet he’ll be the talk of town at least until next year. Now he simply has to return and bank on his new-found popularity in Umag.

[TennisHack]

Ayyyyyyyyyyyy finally! Some talk of sweet Volandri

Thank you thank you thank you You can never say enough about him to satisfy me. I feel like a child with a new toy, LOL

As I was reading your last post where you described his game and on-court demeanor, you know who came to mind? Rainer Schuettler! They may not have the same game plan (though Rainer is like Potatoman-lite when he really gets going) but from your descriptions, they have the same mentality, the same good sportsmanship (he wanted to hug Gonzo? Awwwww!! ), the same never-say-die attitude. I like the kid already and I've never seen him strike a ball. I have everything crossed that he plays qualies in Cincy and not some clay challengers or something

But enough of my drooling, back to yours Poor Magnus He must've been very disappointed to lose that match, especially if he is one of the beloved past champions. Your description of him signing autographs makes me want to cry, poor dear. It would have been crowning if you had managed to catch his eye one last time, though (hmm, I smell musical scenes ).

[Partridge In A Pear Tree]

Layla!

Great stuff, i really enjoyed reading them esp. how you wrote about Volandri and Gonzo's match!

Keep 'em coming... ;D

[Brinyi]

Thanks Layla, fantastic reports! Poor Magnus.

[ILR]

It sounds like you had a marvellous time Layla! ;D Thanks for all the reports on the matches and the practice sessions. I too have never seen one so thanks for the insight. Im glad you managed to get your tent up without a hitch!

wow at the Magnus Norman moment! How cool is that! I wonder if he comes back next year just to see you.......

[Henny]

Wow Layla, thank you very much for taking the time to tell us all about your experiences at Umag. Magnus sounds soooo sweet. I didn't really know much about him until you filled me in on him He sounds like a little darling ;D Who knows maybe you will meet him again in the future? ;D

[vaiva]

Great reports, Layla! I wonder how do you managed to remember so many things in detail. I guess it's easy when you're 20

And I'm a bit late to read them, am I ?

[Layla]

vaiva said:

Great reports, Layla! I wonder how do you managed to remember so many things in detail. I guess it's easy when you're 20

And I'm a bit late to read them, am I ?

It's easy because this was the most exciting thing that has happened to me in this millenium (I kid you not).

Actually, in two QF matches, I refreshed my memory by watching the tape - some matches were shown on Croatian TV and taped for me by my mum. ;D

I still haven't gotten round to writing the Saturday and Sunday report, but it is coming...

[vaiva]

Layla said:

I still haven't gotten round to writing the Saturday and Sunday report, but it is coming...

Just wanted to ask, when? ;D

[TennisHack]

Layla, you have to finish your report from Umag before I start mine from Cincy or else I'm going to have 3 tournaments to keep separate. Besides, I want to hear more about Volandri! Do I have to hold all my notes about Corretja and Santoro over your head to get you to comply?

[Layla]

LOL, no need to twist my arm. I fully intend to write them tomorrow, when I have a little more time. I need time because I have to watch the tapes again to refresh my memory.

[Ilhame]

Thanks for those wonderful reports! The venue is awesome! Cool moments you had there. I still think back of RG when Gasquet's coach held the camera wrong and told his pupil to get closer to me.

Looking forward to the rest.

[Layla]

SATURDAY, July 26

The only people I saw practicing were Shimada and Perry again. They seemed a bit confused and amuzed at the fact that I was watching them in the first place. It wasn’t exactly packed (read no more than 3 people at once) and I stayed for a long time. Well, there was a shade… ; Afterwards, the courts were all empty and I went for a walk scouting where I wanted to eat that day. When I came back I just passed Volandri leaving the grandstand court, must have just missed his practice. I smiled at him and he smiled back, he sure was in a good mood. Stupid me, I didn’t say anything. I wanted to tell him what a great match it was yesterday but I’m sure everyone already told him that, as if he didn’t know. An hour before his match, Nadal was practicing on grandstand court with Jofre, but he didn’t seem quite on. He made quite a few errors, which didn’t bode well for the match.

Carlos MOYA vs. Rafael NADAL 6:4 6:4

The match I’ve been waiting for! This couldn’t have been better if I planned it match by match. I was cheering for Rafael, because I hoped he could win his first title here in Umag. The semi-final matches started at 8:00 pm, when the sun slowly begins to set behind the stadium and stops bothering my eyes, so I was happy about that.

Nadal started off well enough, hitting the ball deep, he even made a nice volley winner at the net in the second point, whereas Moya flumbered on his. Rafael got to 40-15, then missed the line by the narrowest of margins on two occasions and it was deuce. His nerves began to show as he double-faulted to give Moya the first break point, but he saved it with a classic serve-fh winner play. Moya earned his second breakpoint with a fh winner down the line. And this time he meant business. Nadal’s bh dropped too short and Carlos punished it with a fh winner. Nadal got broken in the very first game. 1-0 Moya

One thing I noticed immediately was that this was going to be an exciting match, regardless of the score. Both men realized early on (probably even before the match) that average shots are not going to get them any points, so they were both risking a lot and going for the lines all the time. I read that Carlos’ UE count was higher in this match than it was against Ferrer, but really, the UEs he made against Ferrer were glaringly obvious and completely unnecessary, whereas Rafael forced him to be more daring, so they weren’t on the same level. It’s not easy to determine what constitutes a UE and it changes from tournament to tournament.

Another thing I noticed in Carlos’ first service game was that his serve was back. Throughout the match he was serving incredibly well and I believe that was the deciding element of this match. If he had been his usual careless self at any point in the match, he probably wouldn’t have won. But he was all-business today, and played a near-perfect match. That was as well as I’ve seen him play all year, probably. 2-0

Nadal played very well in the 3rd game and held by playing quite aggressively. Moya made a couple of great winners as well, but no break points here. At 30-30, Rafael tried his first dropshot and it was successful. Moya got to it, but couldn’t do much about it. 2-1

Moya stormed through his next service game and it was 3-1.

Nadal pulls off another successful dropshot. They both battle well, Moya gets to deuce, but then his fh down the line sails wide. Nadal wins the game with another clever drop shot. 3-2

LOL, I’m watching the tape and man, that boy can hit the ball with some power. But Moya was relentless and also played aggressively. In the end, Nadal gave away that game by netting his fh after a couple of scorching bhs down the line. Too bad. Rafael still hasn’t earned a breakpoint. 4-2

This time, Nadal’s dropshot was not good enough (by far) and Moya punished it immediately. Fortunately, he served well enough so that Carlos’ returns sailed wide. At 30-30, Moya faltered a little, letting out an embarrassed shout at a complete mishit. On the last point, it was Nadal’s time to punish a ball that dropped too short. 4-3

The next game, Moya held to love with another display of great serving, including an ace. 5-3

Let’s see how Rafael fares serving to stay in the set. On the first point, he got wrong-footed by Moya. The second point was just brilliant, Nadal tried another dropshot, Moya got to it, then they exchanged a few low volleys at the net like in that practice game, until Carlos tried to lob Rafael, who hit an overhead smash straight on the line. 15-15 Moya’s fh wreaked havoc again, 15-30. On the next point, Moya’s bh found the net. 30-30 Nadal was in control of the next point, finishing it off with a lovely cross-court bh winner. 40-30. Moya’s fh down the line sails long and it’s 5-4.

Moya serving for the set. I was hoping he would choke as he often does, but no such luck. A couple of great points at the net (Carlos in full control there), followed by a couple of fh winners and Carlos held to love. 6-4 There were no more breakpoints in the first set after that wretched first game, so it was a very even match. That first break of serve was all it took. Nadal was playing better and better though.

Some stats for the first set. Nadal had an 81 % first serve. Moya 68 %. Moya 18 UEs, Nadal 12. A bit surprisingly, Nadal had no fh winners in this set (not sure that stat is right), but he had 3 bh winners. I did notice his bh was better in that set. Moya had 11 fh winners and 0 bh winners, so the reverse of Nadal. Funny! Moya also had 6 net points to Nadal’s 2.

[Layla]

2nd set: Nadal started off the third set with another bh winner. Followed by a great serve down the t and a fh winner. Another great serve and Nadal held to love.

Carlos started off aggressively as well, coming to the net quite often and serving another ace. His fh was simply too strong and Carlos holds to love as well. The first two games were over very quickly. 1-1

More in the same vein, serve-fh winner, then a loose fh by Nadal that goes long. Fabulous cross-court fh winner, followed by another loose fh wide. A bit repetitive. Carlos with some great saving at the net, bh volley winner wins him the first break point of the second set. Which he pathetically wastes with a poor return. Another poor return of the second serve. Nadal grabs the game with a great second serve (kick-serve) down the t, which Carlos couldn’t handle. 2-1

The next game was another even battle, with Carlos’ first serve percentage dropping a bit. Nadal makes it to deuce with a brilliant return winner. But then Carlos displayed some great net play (as he did throughout this match) and snuffed out any possibility of a break point. 2-2

Another fairly even game. They exchanged a few winners, at one time Nadal hid a wicked lob that Carlos couldn’t touch. Nadal won the game with a fabulous fh down the line. No break points. 3-2

The first point of the next game, Nadal hit a fantastic fh down the line on the run that paints the line. The crowd appreciated it. On the next point, Moya got lucky with the netcord. Then he got a little careless and produced a UE. 15-30 He followed it by a big serve/big forehand with which Rafael couldn’t cope. Another emphatic fh winner and it’s game point. Moya is simply serving too well. Another 1-2-punch. 3-3

Now it’s Nadal’s time to be great at the net. Followed by a mishit. 15-15 Moya produces another gorgeous fh winner. 15-30 Nadal gets a little impatient and nets a fh. 15-40 Moya took full control of the next point (on Nadal’s second serve), kept Rafael pinned to the back and finished off the point (and the game) at the net. Moya gets the break. 4-3

Nadal made a few too many UEs after long rallies, but it’s not like Moya was about to give him the break back. No lapse of concentration here. 5-3

Rafael serving to stay in the match. Dueling pistols during the first two points, Moya ended up making UEs. The third point Nadal won with a terrific fh winner on the run. 40-0 A good return by Moya did the trick. 40-15 Another fantastic fh return down the line. 40-30 Then a classic Moya point. He runs around the ball to hit a fh but is too late and nets it. Ay-ay-ay. 5-4

Moya serving for the match. At this point I had no hope that he would choke. He opens with a powerful serve down the T. 15-0 Then he nets an easy fh. 15-15 Great serve out wide followed by good coverage of the net. 30-15 Nadal tries too much and his bh sails long. 40-15 The crowd is happy. Great serve out wide and Nadal’s return flies wide. It’s all over.

Rafael seemed a bit angry at the net, there was certainly no hugging or touching. Well, it was a great match and the Umag crowd was delighted their Carlos was in the final again. Nadal still had the doubles final to play tomorrow.

Final match statistics:
Aces: Moya 4 Nadal 0
DF: Moya 2 Nadal 1
1st serve: Moya 66 % Nadal 71 %
UE: Moya 32 Nadal 23
FH points: Moya 21 Nadal 6
BH points: Moya 1 Nadal 4
Net points: Moya 11 Nadal 5
Points won: Moya 68 Nadal 53

There was no question about the winner of this match, Nadal didn’t even have a single break point, but he was breathing down Carlos’ neck the whole time. Too bad Carlos never got Careless. He simply knew he couldn’t afford it. I wish all opponents brought out such a display of awesome tennis from Carlos. Moya clearly though of Nadal as a huge threat, unlike the opponents he had to face in Umag so far. I’m so glad I got to see that.

Oh and Becca, I’m sorry to say that Rafael did indeed readjust his underwear several times, I just never noticed, so it didn’t bother me. It’s not like he did it on every single point. It was funny though.

[Layla]

Filippo VOLANDRI vs. Dominik HRBATY 7:6(6) 6:1

And now for the next semi-final match, the one that had more at stake for me, because unlike the previous match, I cared very much about who won. One I adored and the other is not exactly my favorite, though I have nothing against him (I hear he’s a movie buff ), but his fans…

Filippo was gorgeous as ever. ;D I’m so glad he never wore a cap, except on the first day. I quickly discovered that my seat was located in the hornet’s nest. In front of me and behind me was that group of Hrbaty supporters I’ve come to know and love. I think it was 2 or 3 families, the loudest families in the universe. *shudder* You can’t even imagine how terrible they were. They were chanting DO-MI-NIK HR-BA-TY! to equally loud clapping after practically every point. I mean Dominik would serve and go up 30-0 and the chant would go off. I was thinking: yeah, he needs your support more than ever guys! All the time. I was losing my mind. Seriously, it was extremely draining and I felt exhausted just listening to them. I can’t imagine this was pleasant for Hrbaty either. Whether he was up or down, they just wouldn’t shut up with their chants. Of course they clapped after first serve faults as well, and after double faults. They almost ruined the match for me, and I kept thinking, please don’t let this happen tomorrow in the final as well. So I was all the more motivate to cheer my Filippo on. Fortunately, there were a lot of Italians at this match to counter Hrbaty fans.

Volandri has a gorgeous single-handed backhand, he really does! He began very calmly, with his graceful, elegant groundstrokes. A couples of winners and he earned 2 break points immediately. On the first one he netted a return, while on the second one the return was spotless, smack on the baseline, but after a long rally, his bh sailed just long. 40-40 A powerful cross-court fh on the run earned him another bp. But again he went for too much on the return of Hrbaty’s second serve. After another long fh, it was gamepoint for Hrbaty, on which Volandri hit a wild bh way long. He didn’t exactly take his chances here but he did appear to be the better player out there. 1-0 Hrbaty

Volandri’s weak serve allowed Hrbaty to take control of the point and he was running Filippo around but he made a UE. A great return forced Volandri to hit a defensive lob which Hrbaty easily put away. Hrbaty made some more UEs but also a fh winner. Then at 40-30, Volandri finally exploded with a superb winner of his own. 1-1

Volandri going for the lines, just missing them. 40-0 Two beautiful bh returns by Filippo did the trick. 40-30 Hrbaty responded with a bh of his own and won the game. 2-1

Oooh, the commentators just said Filippo’s idol is Stefan Edberg. No wonder he’s on-court behavior appeals to me so much.

A long rally, finished by a superb cross-court bh. The next attempt at a bh winner was just long. Hrbaty made a UE for 30-15. Then a powerful return pins Volandri to the back and forces him to miss a fh. Finally a good serve down the T, Hrbaty nets the return. 40-30 Another good kick-serve and it’s game Volandri. 2-2

The first point was given away by Hrbaty on a UE. Then they played a beautiful point, both hitting deep, running from side to side, until Volandri approached the net and saved a passing shot with a bh volley. 0-30 The next point was equally long but Volandri hit a fh into the net to a sigh from the crowd. That was one of the more costly mistakes. Then Dominik came up with a fh winner and Volandri missed a return. 40-30 The next point was gorgeous, they both hit fantastic angles but it was Volandri who produced the winner. After a long tussle, and some very long and points, Hrbaty finally held. 3-2

This was a much more diverse match than Moya-Nadal. Once again, Volandri displayed his brilliant defense skills by returning 2 overhead volleys in a row on different sides of the courts, unfortunately he lost that point in the end but wow! Just wow!

In the next game, Hrbaty kept overhitting on Volandri’s second serve until he finally got it right. 30-30 Hrbaty fans were screaming “Prelomi! Prelomi!” – a new mantra which means break. Fortunately Hrbaty was alternating between UEs and winners and never got to a break point. The game finished as it began, with Hrbaty not being able to handle Volandri’s second serve. 3-3

The 7th game wasn’t the most interesting of games either, especially after the excitement of the 5th game. They both began to make more mistakes and it was one of those lulls in a match. Hrbaty held to 30. 4-3

The next game saw much better serving from Volandri. Finally, the first serves were going in with at least a semblance of a zing. And he backed it up with some terrific coverage of the entire court. He raced to a 40-0 lead. Then Hrbaty produced a beautiful bh return down the line and Filippo applauded. An exchange of cross-court forehands ended with Volandri’s UE, followed by a complete mishit and it was suddenly 40-40 Once again, Hrbaty couldn’t handle Volandri’s second serve. Hrbaty’s bh down the line just missed a mark and it was 4-4. *phew*

Gorgeous cross-court bh winner from Filippo, the crowd gives him an enthusiastic applause. Hrbaty nevertheless held easily thanks to a strong serve and a rather loose game by Volandri. 5-4

Volandri serving to stay in the set. And he holds to love, no problems. 5-5

Nice save by Volandri, lovely cross-court fh on the run, followed by a superb return winner. 0-30 Ace! 15-30 Another long rally, Volandri running from side to side, doing his best, hitting beautiful groundies on the run, until Hrbaty overhits a bh, and it’s 15-40. Hrbaty comes to the net but is passed by a gorgeous cross-court fh winner. Volandri gets the break. 5-6

Volandri serving for the set. Hrbaty nets a return. 15-0 Hrbaty running Filippo around successfully. 15-15 Volandri (still serving well) hits a crosscourt fh just wide (didn’t miss by much). 15-30 After a long rally, Volandri completely mishits a fh. 15-40 More aggressive play by Volandri this time and he saves one break. 30-40 Hrbaty’s return slides off the line and Volandri mishits again to give the break right back. During the entire set, Hrbaty never had even one break point and now he suddenly breaks Volandri when serving for the set. Can’t say I’m surprised though, after watching that QF against Gonzo. 6-6

During the tie-break, Volandri fans became so obnoxious, that even the father and daughter I befriended during the match, who were supporting Hrbaty from the start, began to cheer for Volandri. None of us wanted to see those fans pollute the final as well.

Hrbaty nets a fh and gives Volandri a mini break. 1-0 for Filippo. Filippo is such a nice guy though that he gives it right back with a forehand error of his own. 1-1 Ay-ay-ay, Volandri double faults. 1-2 That’s never a good idea in the tie-break. Great point, but the winner goes to Hrbaty. 1-3 Volandri comes to the net very successfully. 2-3 Then Volandri loses another one of his services with a fh error, but this time by a narrower margin. 2-4 A much better game by Volandri, complete with another crosscourt bh winner I love so much! 3-4 Big serve, big fh by Hrbaty 3-5 If he holds another serve, he gets set point! But he doesn’t. He hits an awkward approach shot and Volandri passes him easily with a fh winner. 4-5 Filippo’s crosscourt bh finds the line and Hrbaty’s hits the net. 5-5 Much better! Hrbaty nets the return and it’s 6-5 for Volandri, set point. Volandri’s fh hits the net and drops over on the line (that’s what I think ) but the ball is ruled out. Volandri calls the umpire to check it and can’t believe his bad luck. I was hoping he wasn’t too flustered about this. 6-6 But he wasn’t, he played a great game, was in control and in the end he even played some football (after the point was won ) and hit the ball with his head. 7-6 another set point, this time on his serve. Dominik makes the same mistake of overhitting on the return and the first set goes to Volandri!

[Layla]

At this point, the father I mentioned said that it’s over now, because Hrbaty is no fighter. And that’s exactly what happened. Dominik waved goodbye and went away, completely losing it, and the most exciting part of the second set was guessing whether Volandri was going to bagel him or not. Volandri, by contrast, was playing better and better.

Volandri broke Dominik’s serve immediately and rushed to a 3-0 lead. The fans still wouldn’t shut up though. Have I told you how one idiot in front of me yelled Dominik when Filippo was tossing the ball? Eugh! That’s when Filippo had enough and told them to go home if they couldn’t behave. Or something to that extent.

Surprise, surprise, Volandri broke again, 4-0. I’m not gonna go into detail.

Volandri held for 5-0. More than anything, I was relieved. I remembered that Filippo bagelled Savolt in the second set in the first round. So the question was, to bagel or not to bagel. Turns out not to bagel. Hrbaty finally held, though it wasn’t completely easy. 5-1

Volandri serving for the match. Hrbaty’s return long, 15-0 Long rally, some great angles, Volandri comes to the net (he did that quite often in fact), and scares Hrbaty into netting his fh. 30-0 Good return. 30-15 Volandri’s crosscourt backhands on the run are still a thing of beauty. 40-15, 2 match points! He wins on an unforced error of Hrbaty, but that the heck, he’ll take it. My Filippo goes into the final!

He was rushed to a TV interview right away and I’ll try to relate a few things he said. First he said how pleased he was the way he was playing all week. He said he was playing better and better, that last night’s match was amazing (QF against Gonzo) and he thought he would be too tired for the next match, but today he played even better than yesterday. The hostess asked him how he was able to recharge his batteries and he said he had no idea. He slept all night and all day, he only practiced for 15 minutes at six and that was all. He said the first set was very difficult, because Hrbaty plays the way he doesn’t like his opponents to play, hitting the ball very flat, so he had to think about every point. He said the conditions were very humid and Hrbaty maybe became a little tired, because when you win the first set, you have the strength to continue, but if you lose it’s more difficult. She asked him if he knew he was going to be ranked in the top 50 after this week, he said he didn’t know. He said the final will be very difficult against Moya, that he had seen him play and he was unbelievable. She asked him to describe this year and listed all his achievements for the viewers, and Filippo said it’s hard to think about it (smile), he didn’t think this year would be so wonderful. Then she reminded him of his Davis Cup match against Ivanisevic (Volandri won) and asked him if he remembered it. He said that of course he remembered it, because it was the first real match of his career and it was great a satisfaction to play against a great player like that. She wished him luck and that was it. He was all smiles.

[TennisHack]

Aww, Volandri sounds like such a sweetie! How I wished he had come to the TMS events this summer instead of playing in the German league. Even watching him practice would have been so informative and so much fun!

Can't wait to hear about the final. It must have been a cracker

I wish you had been able to take pictures. Not only can you relieve the matches but you can attach certain memories to them and it's so nice to look at them against and again

[Layla]

I did take a few pictures, but the players are so tiny (even though I was only a few metres away) that only I can recognize them. That zoomless camera is useless and it's going straight to the bin. If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered taking it with me. Yeah, I think about all the pictures I could have taken a lot. I need to buy me a proper camera.

[TennisHack]

And sometimes the zoom can backfire on you. I have some great pics of Juanqui signing autos for his adoring crowd but they are gigantic because I didn't realize how well the zoom would work. I'll have to make them smaller, I guess. There's one I took when I was right behind him, after one of his practices. There's pretty much no way to crop out anything in that pic

I took some pics from Center Court but like you said, the players were like mice so I'm not sure how well they will turn out. The only way you can tell who they are is, Rainer's bright red shirt

[Layla]

TennisHack said:

And sometimes the zoom can backfire on you. I have some great pics of Juanqui signing autos for his adoring crowd but they are gigantic because I didn't realize how well the zoom would work. I'll have to make them smaller, I guess. There's one I took when I was right behind him, after one of his practices. There's pretty much no way to crop out anything in that pic

I took some pics from Center Court but like you said, the players were like mice so I'm not sure how well they will turn out. The only way you can tell who they are is, Rainer's bright red shirt

Yeah, but you saw them as mice. What bugs me is that they were so freaking close I could almost touch them. I saw them so well. And on the photos, they just disappear. Argh, nevermind, I don't think I've ever held a worse camera. The one I had before (zoomless) was much better but it died a painful death.

Can't you make them smaller by reducing their size in photoshop, or similar program? You don't have to crop anything.

[TennisHack]

Yeah, I have photo-editing software and I'll have to reduce them to put them online. But having them big = the way I saw them, and being so close to Juanqui . . .

Ugh, that really sucks! I was determined that that wouldn't happen to me because before this camera, I just had a regular one that took crap pictures, too. Well, I guess you'll always have your memories (and your tapes ).

[Lee]

Volandri is quite a sweetie! I still remember his blue eyes!

[vaiva]

Great reports, thanks Layla

Looking forward to the final report

[ILR]

Thanks for more great reports Layla

[Ilhame]

Nice to hear you got a dream final

Were the players in your pics smaller then my RG pics?