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3/11/09 10:53 AM | James Munoz
Day 1 of the BNP Paribas Open had a few noticeable upsets in the first round of the men's qualifying. Donald Young and Evgeny Korolev, the 17th and 3rd seeds in the draw, were the two most notable names to fall.
Both fell to unheralded 26-year-olds, despite winning more points than their counterparts.
19-year-old Donald Young (USA) fell to Swiss journeyman Michael Lammer 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. This match showcased Young’s game perfectly, as he at times showed glimpses of fantastic shot-making ability, as well as his inexperience in match play. The first set saw an in-form Young preying on weak serves and nerves. The second until the end, however, was a demonstration in why nobody should be underestimated, as Lammer found his serve and picked up on Young’s tendencies. Lammer lulled Young into hitting shots just out of his comfort zone and the American did not feel the need to move forward or back. The results were a mix of short balls and unforced errors, much to the dismay of the crowd. The partisan crowd left unfulfilled and disappointed, just as its American hopeful Young must have felt on this beautiful sunny day.
The American fans could take solace in the most unlikely of places as court 5 provided the biggest upset of the day. University of North Carolina graduate and Futures/Challenger journeyman Nicholas Monroe shocked the crowd and perhaps himself in unnerving the higher-ranked and younger three seed, Evgeny Korolev. Nerves did play a small role in this match, but the steady slices and relentlessness and upbeat attitude of Monroe were enough to take down the powerful Russian.
Korolev, fresh off his first final appearance in Delray Beach (where he advanced through qualifying), seemed relaxed in the beginning of the first set. The warmup highlighted the vast difference in power and gave a false sense of security to the Russian. As the match wore on, Korolev was expecting his opponent to falter. Nearly every point ended off of Korolev’s racquet and there were some very impressive displays of power, particularly from the forehand side. Monroe, could not match the power, but his steady slices and great retrieving were enough to force many errors.
One particular interesting note to this match was Korolev’s displeasure with the tension of his strings. Not happy with any of the three racquets he used, he argued with the chairperson about the need to get a new stringing. Unfortunately for him, he received it too little too late. Korolev came into the event unprepared (three racquets?) and he left disappointed. Hopefully this will not be the case for the many Davis Cup participants later in the week.
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Such big expectations but such little results these two have showed so far. Hopefully, they can improve their mental sides in near future.
orion , 3/11/09 7:40 PM