Old Guys Take Young Guys to School @DelrayBeachOpen Tuesday
Jonathan Morgan for Tennis East Coast
February 18, 2014—There was a theme for today at the beach named Delray.
In the opening match, the veteran Marcos Baghdatis was able to grind down, out think, out move, out hit, and outsmart the younger Jiri Vesely, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Kevin Anderson beat Tim Smyczek 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Court 1 in the early 11 am match, and Dudi Sela defeated Alex Bogomolov 6-0, 6-2. In the 2nd match on stadium court, the theme again rang true. Lleyton Hewitt, the wily old vet faced the younger Bradley Klahn. Hewitt absolutely took him to school, exposing all of Klahn’s weaknesses. But Klahn is learning what it will take to get to where he needs to be.
On an outside court, it was Teymuraz Gabashvili vs. Matt Ebden. You could hear Gabashvili’s intense grunting from stadium court. When I arrived on scene, he was looking a man possessed, with such intensity. Ebden even talked to himself: “I’m playing against a f***ing monkey.” In the crucial part of the third set, at 2-3, 15-40, Ebden was called for an unjust time violation and lost his first serve. He, of course, hits the 2nd serve out also to double-fault away the game, and as it turned out, the match. Ebden got into an argument with the umpire on a bad call on a critical point, saying that it was egregious. I am of course paraphrasing, as he said it with much more vulgarity.
American Steve Johnson was able to beat Mikhail Kukushkin by 6-4, 6-3. Also, Marinko Matosevic was too powerful for the quick David Goffin. Next up on stadium court was Tommy Haas vs. Wayne Odesnik. Haas was ruthless, destroying Odesnik 6-2, 6-1.
Tommy looks in good form.
American Ryan Harrison was able to advance after Yen Hsun Lu had to retire at 0-1 in the second after having won the first 6-4.
Ivo Karlovic defeated Sam Groth in the ultimate battle of big serves, 7-6(4), 6-3.
Rhyne Williams was able to beat Alejandro Falla 6-3, 4-0, retiring late in the afternoon, which is a great win for the qualifier Williams. Perhaps he will break through this tournament?
A tired-looking Kei Nishikori stumbled past the talented Portugese Gastao Elias 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in the late afternoon/early evening stadium match.
In the last match of the day on stadium, John Isner was clutch in the tiebreak to win 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 over Michael Russell.
Tennis Atlantic 