PETE ZIEBRON
Hubert Hurkacz advancing at the Western & Southern Open.
On a day delayed by rain on several occasions, Hubert Hurkacz of Poland defeated American and the #2 seed in qualifying, Ryan Harrison 6-3 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the second round of the qualification draw of the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.
After both players appeared on Grandstand Court and warmed up, they were sent off the court for 43 minutes due to the fourth rain delay of the day. Once they reemerged on court, the opening game of the match was a marathon.
Hurkacz had a game point at 40-30 in the opening game but failed to convert. As a result, he had to constantly dig himself out of four consecutive break points against before then holding six consecutive game points. Finally on the sixth, he did indeed hold to take a 1-0 lead after 10 deuces and a 26 point opening game.
Opening game of the match:
- 26 points
- 10 deuces
Despite hitting two double faults in his opening service game, Harrison crushed three aces and leveled at one all. Next, Harrison broke Hurkacz at 15 to take a 2-1 lead after 21 minutes.
The break was short lived the Pole would break Harrison back and once again on the American's next service game. Hurkacz ultimately closed out the opening set with 2 aces to take it 6-3.
Hurkacz Numbers
- 7 of 8 Break Points saved
- 3 of 3 in Consolidating the Break
Each player won their first two service games in the 2nd set before Hurkacz was able to break to take a 3-2 lead. However, in his effort to consolidate the break, he fell behind quickly to 0-40 in the sixth game of the set. Hurkacz hit an ace and won the next three consecutive points and then two more after Harrison got the game back to deuce to finally consolidate and lead 4-2.
Serving to stay in the match at 3-5, a constantly agitated Harrison was broken at love as Hubert Hurkacz won eight of the last nine points of the match to close it out 6-3 6-3 against the world #57. Harrison has been a finalist this year in Brisbane in January as well as more recently in Atlanta last month.
Next up for world #111 Hurkacz is world #112 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, who reached the 3rd round last year in Cincinnati, falling to eventual finalist Nick Kyrgios. The match will be third up on the Grandstand court.
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