Archives - Saturday, August 11, 2007

Johansson wins another tight one, special Saturday

It was indeed a beautiful day on Saturday. We witnessed a grand slam champion playing tennis in a 3rd set at Rec Park. Again.

Johansson 3-6,7-5,6-3. A tight match again for Johansson. Okun as expected put up a good fight. Johansson came out slowly, clearly a little bit more frustrated than we've seen. Okun broke on Johansson's 2nd service game and then held on for a long game after that to secure the 1st set. Johansson did pull out some nice serving, but the groundstrokes weren't quite as crisp. In the 7th game of the 2nd set, they had that long rally that went to a lob from Johansson (just to get it back). Okun put the overhead right to Johansson and he hit it back with some pace, Okun got that easily with a drop shot. That is when Johansson kicked it up. Johansson made the effort to go from behind the baseline on defense for a lob to full sprint chasing down a dropper. He got to it, and put it down the line where Okun couldn't get it back in play. The crowd applauded the best point of the match, and the effort from Johansson... maybe he needed that crowd moment to get him going. He fed off the energy and started leaning into his shots, focus at max. Okun had an opportunity at 5-4, with 2 break points. 1 more point and it would have been Okun's match. Double match point basically. Big momentum shift because Johansson saved 'em. Okun looked tight serving at 5-6. He was bouncing around, trying to loosen up. He missed 5 of 6 1st serves and Johansson leveled. Would they have enough in the tank... particularly Johansson. He disagreed with a line call right away in the 3rd set, but quickly reset and tuned right back into the task at hand. Okun serving, 2-3, Johansson smelled the opportunity. Sure enough, Okun double faulted to set up 2 break points. Johansson eventually got the break and it was business as usual from there. A great semifinal match.

Vemic and Warburg was another good one. Vemic 6-4, 7-6(6). Some gamesmanship there, as a few times the players were complaining to the chair, apparently about some of the activity of each other. Also, a handful of stare downs after the point was won.

None the less, a good match. Vemic again imposed his soft touch style and Warburg had moments where he traded touch volleys with Vemic at the net, advantage Vemic. Vemic broke out in anger in the 8th game, 1st set, over a line call. He turned up the intensity right there, enough to get the break in the next game. Warburg was broken again early in the 2nd, but he broke back and had the momentum at 4-5 about to serve. The key point in the tiebreak may have been at 5-6, Vemic to serve. Warburg has the momentum with 3 straight points, including a big passing shot. Vemic comes in again and this time finally positions for the backhand volley (cross court from Warburg, the 3rd one in a row). He stabs that easily and finally stops the bleeding of Warburg passing him. 6 all. Vemic closed it out on a good serve followed by an aggressive volley winner.

Vemic was entertaining and high energy. Continually throwing his racquet up in the air, but always making sure he caught it. No ball bounce prior to his serve, and acknowledging the crowd with fist pumps in their direction.

Scott Oudsema and Ryan Sweeting moved into the doubles finals with an easy straight set victory over Noam Okun and and Alex Bogomolov, 6-1, 6-2. The first service break in the first set came in the fourth game with Okun serving. From that point on it was lights out for Bogo and Okun as Sweeting and Oudsema kept the pressure on. With Bogo serving at 1-4 Sweeting hit 2 blazing passing shots to secure the second break of the set. Sweeting then served out the naext game to secure the set.

For a brief period in the second set it appeared that the Okun/Bogomolov team might be able to make a match out of it, both holding serve to start the set at 2-all. Squash that idea when both Oudsema and Sweeting ripped passing shot winners to break Okun who was serving at 2-2. Then with Bogomolov serving at 2-4, Sweeting hit a net cord winner to further frustrate their opponents and complete the second break of the set. Sweeting served out the set, appropriately completing the set and match with his second ace of the match. In Sweeting's 4 service games, Bogomolov/Okun were unable to overcome the pace and high kicking second serve of Sweeting to win a single point.

We have a good one coming on Sunday. Will Vemic's variety be enough to keep Johansson from getting into his rhythm. "Cheer for me", he said to the crowd.