There is a chance of the Launceston Challenger final being contested by two representatives from the home nation, as both teenager Blake Mott and former Wimbledon junior Champion Luke Saville won their quarter-finals.
Mott scored a massive upset over in-form Stephane Robert, defeating the French veteran 6-3, 7-6. Mott edged both sets, breaking once in the first, before the men traded four breaks en route to a second set tiebreak. Mott landed more first serves, and won more points on that wing than Robert, which was probably the key difference in the match.
Mott will face third seed Saketh Myneni in the semi-finals after the Indian beat Benjamin Mitchell 6-4, 6-2. Despite Mitchell being favoured by many pre-match, Myneni gave a lesson in break point conversion, breaking Mitchell six times from six opportunities.
In the bottom section of the draw, Luke Saville defeated Alex Bolt 6-3, 7-6. Saville broke three times in the first set, but Bolt fought viciously in the second, fending off five out of six break points, and secured one of his own to ensure a tiebreak would decide the set. The tiebreak went to the form of the match though, as Saville quickly raced away winning seven-two.
Saville’s opponent will be Andrey Golubev. The Kazakh is trying to return to a Top 100 ranking, though even victory in this tournament would not achieve that just yet. He is still in the running however, and deserves credit for negotiating a Matthew Barton in very good form 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Golubev took advantage of erratic serving from Barton in sets one (37% first serve) and three (47%). In set two when Barton managed a more respectable record (62%) he was not broken.
Semi-finals match-ups and picks (in bold):
Blake Mott vs Saketh Myneni: Many had favoured Mitchell against Myneni in the last round, but the Indian showed why he was seeded, winning through in straight sets. Mott had a fairly easy road to the quarter-finals, only facing qualifiers, but deserves credit for the way he defeated Robert. Myneni though is not a veteran, but a player in the middle of his career, and should be playing a level above Mott.
Luke Saville vs Andrey Golubev: Both these players have pedigree. For Golubev, his former Top 50 ranking suggests he is better than just playing regular Challengers, and at twenty-eight has every chance of rejoining the elite. Saville’s pedigree has largely been limited to a successful junior career that saw him win Junior Wimbledon. Saville’s record on hard-courts in distinctly average and Golubev has experience against a far higher calibre of player.
