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Tim v Enqvist - match report inside IP: 82.33.29.192 Posted on December 6, 2014 at 05:12:45 AM by Jean
Royal Albert Hall 2014
3rd December, Tim v Enqvist
This was a very entertaining match, with plenty of exciting baseline rallies interspersed with occasional forays to the net. Both players were pushing hard but still had time for a little banter with the crowd and each other, so it was played in a very good spirit. Tim was moving very well from the start and some of his retrieving was absolutely amazing. His serve (which looked slightly different) was mostly firing well, and Enqvist had some real problems with Tim’s high kicking second serve, while Tim had a lot of success when returning even the Swede’s most powerful efforts. The brand new mauve court apparently plays slower than the previous one, but seemed to be very receptive to slice, with the ball keeping low.
Enqvist won the toss and chose to serve, holding comfortably, then Tim had a real battle to get through the second game, saving 4 break points before finally getting on the scoreboard. He promptly sat down on a line judge’s chair for a rest while the slightly inept ball girls transferred the balls to the other end. (I’m sure they’ll improve by the end of the tournament!) Tim had a break point of his own in the 3rd game but couldn’t take it, then held to love for 2-2. When one of Tim’s serves was called out he challenged it but Hawkeye confirmed it was out by a whisker – so Thomas decided to take the line judge’s glasses to help him see better! He then played a complete air shot on the second serve so promptly gave them back …
The next 4 games all went with serve then a combination of errors from Enqvist and great play from Tim led to a break and gave Tim the chance to serve for the set at 5-4. Sadly he couldn’t find the first serves he needed and ended up being broken back, so the set went on, all the way to a tie-break. Tim went down a mini break early on, got it back but then dumped a forehand in the net for 5-6 and Thomas found a winning serve to close it out.
Tim started the 2nd set strongly, cruising to 40-0 in his opening service game before being pegged back to deuce. Some good net play saw him through and he promptly broke Enqvist for 2-0, then held to love for 3-0. Thomas held for 3-1 and Tim, again missing too many first serves, dropped the next game on a double fault to make it 3-2. The next 4 games all went with serve, leaving Enqvist under a little pressure at 4-5 – and it told. Tim took full advantage of Thomas’s errors and broke to take the set 6-4.
And so the match would have to be decided by a Champion’s tie-break – this is the same as a normal tie-break but it’s the first player to reach 10 points rather than 7. All went well to 4-4, then Enqvist took the first mini break with a cross court winner, and held his own 2 serves for 7-4, looking ominously strong. Tim found 2 good serves to close the gap to 6-7 and Thomas hit an ace out wide for 8-6, then double faulted! Tim had stepped inside the court for the 2nd serve, and the threat of attack may well have contributed. Enqvist’s backhand sailed long for 8-8, a lovely stop volley from Tim, prompting a racket clap from Thomas, made it 9-8 and match point to Tim, who smacked a backhand service return down the line to finish it off 10-8 – phew! It was just like old times – on the edge of our seats to the last point, but a very good win in the end.
They were both smiling warmly as they shook hands at the net, then Andrew Castle came out to conduct the on-court interviews, starting with Thomas. He was very gracious, complimenting Tim’s play and thanking the crowd for being there, then it was Tim’s turn. Andrew commented that he looked “absolutely knackered”, which Tim confirmed he was! He returned the compliments to Enqvist and also thanked the crowd, then it was time to hit a few balls up into the gods and head off, no doubt to a massage!
The afternoon was rounded off by an equally entertaining doubles match, with Jamie Murray and Xavier Malisse scraping past Wayne Ferreira and Fernando Gonzalez, also on a Champion’s tie break. Of course Tim now has to play Gonzo in his second singles match, and the way the Chilean was belting his forehand I don’t think it’ll be easy … Replies: