Coke4 overcomes Likos comeback in an epic match, which finished 7-6(11) 7-6(5) 6-7(7) 6-7(1) 6-4
Set 1: He holds easily to 15 start then comes back from 40-0 to gain a break point, however i dictate the play and save it with a FH winner. I then go on to hold and open up a 0-40 lead on his serve, all three points got into rallies but he managed to get in control of them and save them all, he then went on to hold and i held easily before opening up a 15-40 lead on his serve, again he manages to save all of them by dictating from the baseline and he goes on to hold. In my next game, at 2-3, he gets another break point, but i save it easily and hold. I get two more break poits but am unable to take them and it goes to a tie break. We couldnt get any mini breaks and we kept on holding, eventually, at 11-12 he misses his first serve and i decide to go for the return, i hita hrad return winner to take the set.
Set 2: This set starts with both of us holding easily and he gets a break point early on, but i dont remember much about it. My 1st serve percentage dropped seriously in this set but he is unable to capitilize on it, At 3-4 i manage to get a 0-30 but he goes on to hold, then again at 4-5 i get a 0-30 but he holds again. It goes to a tie break and I go up an early mini break half way through, he finds himself 3-6 down and serves, i manage to get control of the point and dictate, but with amazing defence he managed to get back in the point before hitting an unreal winner. he hold the next point for 5-6 but i take the set when i hit a slice down the T.
Set 3: We both go through this set holding serve easily with no real pressure on serve at. At 5-6 on my serve he manages to get 0-15 and was blasting shots down at me and i was struggling to stay in the point, he hits a big FH right into the corner but i manage to flick a bh crosscourt winner, a shot that changed the momentum and enabled me to go on and hold, if i had missed that, he would have broke. The breaker seems to be similar to the 1st and it looks like it is going to be a long breaker, however he goes up a late mini break and served for it at 6-5, he hits a huge crosscourt FH but, similar to in the last game in the set, i manage to hit a crosscourt forehand winner off it. I thought that would be it for Likos, however he holds his next point for 7-6, i level it at 7-7 but he gets in control of the rally and crushes me with brutal groundstrokes and earns the mini break , this time at 8-7 he serves it out easily to take the set.
Set 4: We both start off holding easily and we are able to keep up the intensity. This set follows a similar path to the 2nd with me getting a few half chances like 0-30's late on but he stays so mentally strong and manages to bring it to a tie break. In the tie break he blitzes me, there was nothing i could do and he walks his way through it, taking it 7-1 with a passing shot.
Set 5: I am fustrated at losing a two sets to love lead and take out my anger on his serve, really going for the returns and i open up a 15-40 lead, i decide not to go for this return and just put it back in play, this was a good idea as i gained control of the point and took the break with a BH down the line winner off a short ball. The rest of the set was quite easy, likos was kind of down and struggled to get back into it. At 5-4 i open up a 40-0 lead and look set to take it, but no, likos demands one more comeback and hits two winners on the run to make it 40-30, i was shitting it now, but i stay calm and force him into hitting a forced error with a big FH to take this match.
A real epic, likos served fantasticly and hit the ball so well. But his biggest strengyh today was his mental strength and his speed, he moved arounf the court so well, he moved like a Ninja, he chased everyball down and hitting some amazing on the run winners which made me want to cry. He never gave up, he faught back to level the match, he saw every game aa winnable, even when i was 40-0 up, and he saw every shot was makable.
We played some real great rallies throughout the match and its a shame that the game where i vented my fustration was the deciding game, and i really congratulaye him on not constantly risk returning after that, which would have ruined the rallies
Stats
likos | coke4
85% 1st Serve % 86%
76% Win on 1st Serve 76%
69% win on 2nd Serve 75%
3 Aces 11
1 Double Faults 0
116 Winners 135
14 Unforced Errors 19
0/3 Break Points 1/8
190 Total point won 197