Luck plays a role in Witten's victory over Healey

By JEFFREY DUNHAM
Aug 6, 9:36 pm EDT

Former University of Kentucky player and 2002 NCAA singles finalist Jesse Witten defeated crowd favorite and wild card entrant Nathan Healey in a fiercely contested three set battle this evening. The final score was 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4.

"I think I was a little lucky," No. 264 ranked Witten replied when asked about the key to his win. "He was going for diving volleys and making them. Plus, I've been playing World Team Tennis for the past several weeks, and haven't played many full matches."

In fact, Witten faced No. 503 ranked Healey three times in WTT play, with Healey holding a 2-1 edge. However, WTT is played in an abbreviated five-game format that doesn't allow for lengthy contests.

With the crowd firmly in the Healey camp, the first set proceeded on serve, with Witten taking a 5-1 lead in the eventual tiebreak. A forehand error by Healey gave Witten the first set.

"Tighten the nets!" screamed Witten in response to a Healey net cord winner with Witten serving to open the second set.

A double fault by Witten gave Healey two break points, which Healey took advantage of with a high backhand volley winner off an attempted lob by Witten. Healey went down 0-30 in his next service game, but held for 2-0. This set the tone for the second set, which Healey would win easily, 6-1.

Healey hit a "Beethoven Bouncer" overhead smash winner to save break point while serving in the opening game of set three. Witten exasperatedly tossed his racquet 50 feet into the air. After desperately lunging for a forehand volley while serving at 2-3 and falling down hard on the court, Healey took an injury timeout in order to be bandaged. He returned to applause from the crowd, which was more evidence of his popularity here in Binghamton. Witten got another break on another missed lunging forehand volley from Healey, who smashed his racquet in disgust, incurring a code violation as his reward.

Healey earned break point on a sharply-struck crosscourt forehand return into the deuce court, and secured one break back with a feathery drop volley winner. Several unforced errors by Healey with Witten serving at 4-3 allowed Witten to come within one game of winning the match. Camped out in the backhand corner, Witten was clearly looking for a forehand to hit when serving for the match. He found enough of them to close Healey out, although Healey did come up with a laser-like down the line return winner in that game.

In the final analysis, the diving and athleticism of the Healey serve and volley game simply was not up to the task of countering the Witten groundstroke barrage this evening. With his bulging biceps, Healey did not lose the match for lack of physical fitness, but perhaps because of lack of match toughness. He certainly gave it his best effort, literally bleeding on the court in the process.

In other highlights, Chilean No. 1 seed Paul Capdeville defeated unseeded left-handed Frenchman Gary Lugassy in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Capdeville has an accurate serve which sets up the long swings of his shots very well. Although possessing a somewhat fiery temper, Lugassy could not muster enough to ever seriously trouble Capdeville, although the players traded breaks in the first set.

American wild card entrant Travis Helgeson defeated Australian Nick Lindahl, and 2006 finalist and No. 5 seed Lukas Lacko ousted another young American, Ryler De Heart. Lacko would not continue his winning ways, however, as he would be forced to retire in his later doubles match with partner Ilia Bozoljac due to heat illness. Their opponents in that match were themselves the beneficiaries of the withdrawal of another team due to injury.

Doubles qualifiers and local favorites Billy Mendler and Kris Shumway fought valiantly in the beginning of their doubles match with the No. 1 seeded Czech team of Tomas Zib and Lukas Dlouhy. However, the hopes of the very vocal crowd faded after Zib and Dlouhy found the range and precision on their shots, downing the Americans 6-3, 6-0.

In closing, perhaps one of the most bizarre moments of the tournament occurred during a doubles match between the No. 4 seeded team of Carsten Ball and Travis Rettenmaier vs. the unseeded youngsters Gastao Elias and Uladzimir Ignatik. On match point for Ball and Rettenmaier, Ball was struck in the side by an overhead from the other team, but the ball bounced back over on the other side of the net. While it was initially unclear what had happened, the point was played out, with Ball/Rettenmaier winning it. In the confusion, the two teams decided to spin a racquet to see whether they would play a let or allow Ball/Rettenmaier to take the victory. Ball/Rettenmaier won the spin and the match. Apparently, Jesse Witten was not the only player relying on luck today.