KARL CORBETT in SAVANNAH
In the interview posted yesterday with Tennys Sandgren, a match was discussed in which he was not able to convert any of the 15 Break Point Chances he had against fellow American Tommy Paul last week in Sarasota.
Today, we will hear from Tommy Paul as well as Mike Cation about the match from Sarasota.
Tommy Paul in action today in Savannah. Photo: Karl Corbett
Tommy Paul struggled in Savannah. He has seen a lot of that, missing five months due to injury in 2018. The hard work is staring to pay off. On the 2019 clay court swing through the Southern US, he has seen triumph, winning 10 of his 11 matches. In Sarasota, he took the title. In Tallahassee, he reached the final.
He’s made a good start in Savannah, where Tennis Acumen had an exclusive interview on court after a difficult second-round victory. We asked him about a remarkable match the week before in the Tallahassee semifinals. Facing Tennys Sandgren Paul saved 15 out of 15 break points to notch the victory
TA: You gave us an incredible performance last week, saving all fifteen break points you faced against Tennys Sandgren.
TP: Thanks. In the match against Sang, I definitely played well on the on the big points. You know, the break points were kind of the key points in the match, and I really stepped up in those points.
TA: How was the level of play in that contest?
TP: I feel like there were definitely some of those break points where he had chances. I know he had a short ball on one of them, but I feel like most of them were high-quality points from both of us. I feel I got most of them working hard, playing good points.
TA: That's what he said. He says that you took most of those points right off his racket.
TP: That’s right. I played so many points really well. I hit some forehand winners, I had good serves. Some of them, were long points, but it went well.
TA: Sandgren described that as playing “lights out”. How does that feel, when you are in zone?
TP: Well, I’d rather be up 40-15, than facing break points, you know? I’d much rather that it not be break point.
TA: Absolutely, but you kept going. How did it feel when you walked in and shook his hand at the net?
TP: It really felt good. It was my second Challenger title. I was pretty pumped, just ‘cause I'm working really, really hard. So, to finally get another win is always, always a good thing. I've been working hard, so I feel like I earned. It was good.
Tommy Paul survives a grueling 3 setter and advances in Savannah. Photo: Karl Corbett
Mike Cation has likely seen more tennis matches than anyone else you’ll ever meet. He provides commentary for the USTA as they stream every Challenger level match live, atwww.livstream.com/atp. Cation covers matches, start to finish, day after day, all season long.
Tennis Acumen spoke with Cation in Savannah, Georgia, and ask for his analysis on a remarkable final that had taken place two weeks prior.
TA: We had a remarkable match, the final in the Sarasota Challenger, between Tennys Sandgren and Tommy Paul, in which Paul saved all 15 break points he faced. I have spoken with both Sandgren and Paul about the match, but you were there, too, Mike. From the booth, what was the experience?
MC: You don’t notice that it’s starting to get crazy until about 10 break points in. A lot of it was just kind of back and forth between the two of them. It was pretty normal, but I think it just got more and more frustrating for Sandgren, knowing exactly what Tommy was going to do with the kick serve out wide to the ad side, combined with Tennys’ inability to solve it early. And Tennys certainly has those moments where he lets things get to him, and they just kind of bubble and percolate and it just got worse and worse and worse for him. Then, it just got to a point where I don't think that anybody courtside even believed that he would be able to find a break.
TA: With the pressure mounting, how did the players handle it, from your point of view, Mike?
MC: Sandgren has mental hurdles that he places in front of himself, at times. So, he was the one who struggled with it, and it just got worse and worse and worse. Sandgren was talking to himself about the fact that he wasn't able to convert.
There was one game, early in the second set (Cation refers to the meticulous handwritten notes he keeps)… Yes, it was the second game of the of the second set. He had seven break chances and then he had two the next game… three the next game… so it just seems like a three-game stretch where he had break chance after break chance and just couldn't get it. So it just got worse and worse. In those three games, when he wasn’t able to convert the last one, the match was done.
TA: Have you seen other matches like that? Is that rare or remarkable?
MC: Yeah, I think I think it's more remarkable just because of the setting. This was a final. Obviously, now it has a lot of implications for the French Open wildcard that Tommy just earned here in Savannah.
MC: I worked a match in Sacramento, it was Taylor Fritz’ first Challenger title. In that final, I think he fought off 15 out of 16 against Jared Donaldson. So I mean, it's not unheard of, by any means. Even Roger Federer has those days where he can't convert a break chance. That's rather well known in tennis circles. So it's not unheard of. There was just a lot riding on that match.
TA: And did you talk with the players after the match, Mike?
MC: I talked to Tommy and I mean, he just said that it was very simple. He was just going back to the well, while Sandgren couldn't solve it. Tommy Paul was able to go back to that serve time after time, and he was just going to do that until Sandgren was able to figure it out. And unfortunately for Tennys, he wasn't able to do that.
TA: Thanks for sharing the story, Mike. We’ll talk soon, I hope.
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