(Pascal Guyot/AFP/Getty Images)
There was a moment, around an hour maybe into the match, where it looked like it would all be over in a matter of minutes. That was when David, up a set and a break and in complete control of proceedings, got ready to serve for the match at 6-3, 5-4... - Around another hour or so later, Gilles Simon converted his first match point, sealing his 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 victory. After David once more proved unable to close out a match that was his for the taking.
Out of Montpellier, David will now move on to play the 500 event in Basel next week, one of his favourite tournaments.
Today's match basically came in two halves. David caught an excellent start and managed to secure an early break (for 3-1) in the first set. A set that saw good tennis from both players, with few errors and lots of great baseline rallies, most of which David was able to dominate. Posting his best numbers on serve today in this set, David carried the break right through it and eventually converted his first set point to take it 6-3. At this point in the match, he hadn't faced a single break point and committed only 9 unforced errors (while hitting 14 winners).
In the second set, David broke Simon again, this time for a 3-2 lead. After that, he seemed in complete control of the match and at 4-2 had two break points to go up a double break. But Simon saved both of them with good serves. Finally, at 5-4, it was David's turn to serve for the match. - And it was precisely at that moment that the second half of the match began.
After arguing with umpire Cedrid Mourier about an overrule (that meant a double fault), David appeared to be losing his focus and quickly went down 15-40, facing the first break points of the entire match. In the course of this game, David saved altogether three break points. On the fourth, however, David decided to play serve and volley behind a weak second serve - and got broken. Still, he remained seemingly unimpressed and broke right back, earning himself another chance to serve for the match at 6-5. But only to follow it up with his worst service game of the match. Three unforced errors in a row plus a double fault - and the second chance to close out the match was gone, as well. In the eventual tiebreak, David led 5-4 and could've still won the match, had he won both of the following points on his serve. But instead, two unforced errors in a row cost him the lead and, eventually, the second set. During which he again hit 14 winners - but also 29 unforced errors, most of them towards the end of the set.
The third set saw David struggling with blisters, with his fitness (he seemed to get slower, the longer the match went on) and also continuing his debates with umpire Mourier. After a couple of quick service holds, David once more broke Simon's serve (for 4-2) but only to get broken back straight away. At 5-5, David went down 0-30 and during the rally that followed, he managed to complain about a shot from Simon he thought was long, all but stopping play, but still won the point. After that however, another double fault (7 in total today) and another unforced error (56 in total) ended up costing David his serve and now gave Simon the chance to serve for the match. Which he did, to love, converting his first match point with an ace.
That David sometimes has his problems with closing out matches isn't new. Neither is David being in control of a match and then still finding a way of losing it (take the notorious five match points he held against Nadal at Indian Wells). But that doesn't make matches like this one today any easier to watch. Or to understand why David's game sometimes just falls apart from one moment to the next - when the finish line is already in sight. I can imagine what David will say about this match, the same thing he always says about matches like this one - "he played better than me in the important moments." I just wish that sometimes, it would be a lot more difficult to play better than David in the important moments...
For those with strong nerves, the match is available on the David on Screen page (thanks, Krystle for the recording).
(tournament website)
Thanks, Julia and Krystle - I will steel myself to watch the match, as I didn't get to see it live.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't just have Simon at 5-4 in the second set. He was up 4-2 and 15-40 on Simon's serve, but was unable to convert on the break points.
ReplyDeleteTo lose to the boring little twerp named Simon is simply a disgrace. I'm incredible frustrated.
Chris, I've seen Simon a few times and
ReplyDeletehe's not that bad. I've seen him beat Roddick live in Llegg Mason. (btw...Roddick; going through his own mental problems lately ). Plus, Simon was a top 10 player for over a year. And maybe he was extra pumped playing in his home land -- giving it 200%.
I can understand you don't like him personally, but you can't deny his talent. He can come out and play some good tennis often, though not always.
He's just not consistent anymore, same as Nalby lately.
Julia, thanks for all your hard work on posting all the info about upcoming matches and video streams. :) !!
Many thanks to others for the video. It's made for Windows, and
I'm on Linux system, so I have to figure out a way to watch it on that.
Istabraq, you could still just enjoy the first half of the match and pretend the rest didn't happen... ;)
ReplyDeleteJoe, no problem. Though to be honest, posting stream links and info about matches is the easy part.
And Chris, I'd appreciate it if you could vent your frustration without the trash-talking. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteJulia, i just checked Basel entry list, and i can say it's a very strong field with Rog, Roddick Berdych Djokovic,,,,David loves Basel, but am not sure he is gonna make the surprise and break through, after all i didn't expect nalby to win Montpellier, but i was expecting at least a SF. And lets be logical, it's not that david can play 3 weeks in a row anywayz, it's just he kept saying he is delaying his comeback to be in a better shape, we didn't c that happening.
ReplyDelete@joe, am not the one throwing david under the bus, he is doing that to himself, and he is paying for it big time. I am gna support him until he retires, but that doesn't mean we cant talk about his mistakes and weaknesses,we all love and admire nalby's talent here,but that doesnt mean we can't have different opinions, the least thing you can do is to respect it.
Yeah, strong field. And the fun part is that he won't be seeded...
ReplyDeleteJulia, i was there today, u have no idea how awful i was feeling, i was extra happy until nalby started to mess things up, and the crowd wasnt even bothering him, its like the french new it was naalby who was gna win, so they were enjoying some tennis, untill Simon broke (with a generous gifts from nalbandian)the crowd went nuts, am french but i was cheering for nalby with all me heart, but look what happened, i agree with noubar, he totally choked at the end, just like the old david, well, maybe some things really never change. The girl next to me was screaming, this is a dream, i donno how simon won this one.
ReplyDeletejulia, the last post isnt mine, its ffrom Lucy, she cant post here , so she facebooked this to me, shes my 2nd cousin btw lol
ReplyDeleteand when is Basel draw? any idea?
I'm glad I had to leave immediately after the match and wasn't able to post any comments. If I did, however, it probably would have been brief. CHOKED! It's funny, because with David up 4-2 and 15-40 on Simon's serve in the 2nd set, I was going to comment that David was playing the best tennis I've seen him play since the surgery. When Simon held serve, though, I hesitated. I thought, uh-oh, here we go. It's all en la cabeza with David. I'm sure if he thought the score was 0-0 instead of 5-4 and serving for the match, he would have held serve. I hope he can let this match go quickly, and not stew about it like the Monfils DC match.
ReplyDeleteLucy, yeah, what a match to see live... And I'm also sorry to hear that you can't post here.
ReplyDeleteNoubar, do you know more? And hey, a family affair. :)
Draw for Basel is on Saturday (as usual), afternoon I believe.
John, yeah - not just CHOKE but double and triple choke... But well, Basel is waiting. Now we can only hope that he doesn't draw Nole or the like in the first round.
David usually has bad luck in draws, anyways like u said, we hope no nole or federer in the early rounds, and btw i really miss federer-nalbandian matches, and am surely gonna enjoy a new one in Basel, and up until then, tc every1,its 3 am here, so gd night.
ReplyDeleteI think the match is worth watching for anyone that hasn't seen it yet, as the first half is quite spectacular. And while Simon is easily the more defensive player of the two, they do get into plenty of long rallies, which means that David never really wins the points that easily. Though I think the tennis of both players goes down a notch from the second set onwards.
ReplyDeleteI will now watch the second set which I have missed yesterday, but only the first set :)
ReplyDeleteI began to watch the match from the second set and must say that he played great until the 4:2 40:15 leading, with the same result like against Nadal in Indian Wells with 6:3 4:2 and 40:15 leading at Nadal's serve I think.