By Kingsley Elliot Kaye
Cameron Norrie – Benoit Paire 60 76 60
Can a match be over after the first game? Well, if the most erratic player is up against the most consistent it can happen. If the first has also recently been taking a break off tennis, while the latter has been thriving since his Wimbledon run to the semifinals, it comes as no surprise that one game can tell the story of a whole match.
Paire lost serve in the first game of the match. In spite of scoring three points with his first serve he undid it all with unforced errors pouring in from every domain. Neither were the errors spurred by attempts to construct points. It was just unforced errors, often coming from sluggish moving. It appeared clear that Norrie just had to keep the ball in play and wait. When Paire did try a shift in tactics in the second game, charging to the net, Norrie did not blink and hit a comfortable passing shot down the line. After 20 minutes the set was over.
But there are many kinds of Benoit Paire and a different one started the second set. The one endowed with a unique tennis genius. More enterprising and error-free, he held serve and was unleashing unretrievable backhands down the line as well as mixing up pace. Slightly unsettled Norrie fended off a break point in the fifth game but surrendered his serve two games later, the Frenchman pressuring from the baseline and with forays into the net. However he tightened up when serving the set out and let Norrie back in. No more twists occurred and it was tiebreak time. Benoit Paire set up a glamorous stop volley to win the first point, then gave the floor to his former self and was no longer a match for a buoyed Norrie, who won seven straight points to secure the tiebreak, and the next six games to pocket the match.
“It’s tricky, especially how Benoit plays. He obviously plays with a lot of flare, he can come forward very well and serve well at times. And he’s dangerous. So for me, I was just trying to concentrate and stay locked in,” said Norrie. “It was a tough second set. He played really, served well, and returned. That one game, I didn’t make many first serves and he took it to me and broke me Norrie said after the match. In the third set it was all going very quickly, but I’ll take it. You know, it was pretty hot out there, and nice to get it done in straight (sets).”
Norrie will take on Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the second round.
Dan Evans – Jiri Vesely
Dan Evans has been playing some dream tennis throughout his American summer, underpinning his shot variety with consistency and physical brilliance. Opposed to Jiri Vesely, ranked 68 he displayed remarkable ease and closed the match in three comfortable fuel-saving sets, 64 61 61. He continuously mixed up service placement and did not concede breakpoints. However it must be said that the Czech never came up with the tennis he stunned Djokovic with in Dubai, when he put away the number one of the world in two sets, one of the greatest upsets of the season.
In the first set both players exhibited enjoyable and airy tennis. Evans earned his first chances in the opening game, effectively steering his lifted backhands to elicit errors or set up winners. However Vesely saved four breakpoints and held, assisted by his first serve and opening up the court for winning groundstrokes.
Evans breezed through his first service game and snatched the break soon after, with two deep returns which Vesely couldn’t cope with. From then on Evans maintained his lead, never conceding breakpoints, and sealed the first set 64.
The match had taken its turn. Evans rushed away with an early break in the second set. Vesely proved unable to endure long rallies and was missing within few shots, most often when trying to hit through the Brit’s lifted, floating backhands. Evans gained two further breaks and won the second set 61.
Evans never relented pressure and focus on every point. The way he celebrated when an exquisitely delicate inside out forehand set up two match points, witnesses his determination and self-belief. An eleventh ace closed off the third set 61.
“I played very well. It was nice to get back on the match court. It’s been quite a while since Cincinnati but it was nice to get out and I played very well,” said Evans.
“I played well the week before and I didn’t play great in Cincinnati but it’s the first round and the start of a new tournament and you have to start building again.
“I didn’t do too much running, I served well and dictated pretty well.”
His next opponent will be Aussie James Duckworth and it will be their first ever encounter.
