If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m an avid tennis fan. My son has played tennis for over ten years.
Through his middle school, high school, and college years, I’ve enjoyed sitting on the side of the court watching his matches.
And thankfully have only been hit once by his 110+ mph serve.
In August, I make the trek to Mason, Ohio, north of Cincinnati, to watch one of my favorite tournaments: the Western & Southern Open.
It’s relatively close-by and I love being able to see both men and women play.
I arrive early in the week to catch the early rounds of tennis. Watching top players on the outside courts, as you sit a few feet from the court, is a tennis fan’s dream come true.
But one thing that’s not common to see at the tournaments: qualifiers defeating seeded players.
But that’s what happened Friday afternoon, when Aleksandr Dolgopolov (ranked 66 worldwide) defeated Tomas Berdych (the number six seed at the tournament) in straight sets for the men’s singles.
Dolgopolov is one of the few players I’ve seen hit his serve as the ball is going up, not down on the ball toss.
A few match statistics for Dolgopolov:
- Took 75 minutes to beat Berdych (that’s quick!)
- Won 81 percent of his service points
- Converted two of five break points
And Dolgopolov is the first qualifier in 20 years to make it to the Western & Southern semifinals.
His amazing serves and groundstrokes weren’t the only things that impressed me from the match.
After his win, Dolgoplov was very generous to the younger fans who asked for his autograph.
Unfortunately, Dolgopolov didn’t make it to the finals. Novak Djokovic battled past Dolgopolov in the semifinals, though it took three sets for Djokovic to win the match.
