Getty Images / Mostafa Bassim / Anadolu Agency / In the photo: Hubert Hurkacz
Rafał Smoliński 02 August 2023, 00:45
Hubert Hurkacz will not conquer the hard courts in Washington again. After a battle lasting nearly three hours, the Polish tennis player lost to the American Michael Mmoh. Despite the poor performance, the Wrocław native had a chance to win this duel.
On Monday, Hubert Hurkacz (ATP 17) welcomed the Mubadala Citi DC Open tournament as part of the doubles competition (more here). On Tuesday, it was time for a singles performance. Seeded with “four”, the Wroclawian received a free ticket at the beginning. His opponent in the second round was the American Michael Mmoh (ATP 112). After two hours and 55 minutes, our tennis player lost the match 3:6, 7:6(4), 6:7(4).
A good start to Hurkacz
The first set did not go as planned by the Pole. Already in the opening game, the representative of the hosts scored two break points and scored a break with a backhand pass on the line. “Hubi” did not serve at a high level. A lot of balls came back after the return, and the 26-year-old from Wrocław often made mistakes in exchanges.
With such a disposition, Hurkacz easily got into trouble. In the third game, he barely saved the serve, saving two break points. After that, there seemed to be a little stabilization. However, there was no confirmation of this with a return break. In the fourth game, it was 0-30 on the opponent’s serve, but Mmoh scored four more points to make it 3-1.
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The American did not present great tennis. He used simple schemes, but they were sufficient against the background of an opponent playing below his capabilities. In the entire first set, the Pole did not develop a single break point. In the ninth game, he found himself in trouble for the third time in the premiere. He still saved the first setball, but on the second he sent a forehand far out.
Hurkacz defended the matchball
The defeat in the opening game did not make our representative instantly mobilize to play better. Mmoh was not in danger with his own application, Hurkacz had to be careful. In the sixth game, the American developed a break point, and the Pole saved himself with a great backhand on the line. It wasn’t easy for him to get to 3.
Since there were no opportunities for Hurkacz to break, you had to be on your guard in the final phase of the set. In the 10th game, the Pole did a great job. After switching sides, at 5:6, he lost an incredibly long exchange and the American had a matchball. In the moment of danger, “Hubi” launched his greatest weapon. Three perfect serves allowed him to close the game and lead to a tie-break.
In the 13th game, our tennis player kept more cool. Mmoh was the first to get a mini-break, but quickly relinquished the advantage. Hurkacz wisely led the exchanges and managed to go from 1-2 to 5-2. The tennis player of the hosts scored the next two points, but the Pole did not allow him to return to the game. Two set balls appeared quickly and the player from Wrocław finished the game on the first occasion.
When it seemed that the effective return in the second set would wing Hurkacz, the old demons returned. In the third game, our tennis player messed up at the net and it was 0-40. Two break points were repulsed with serves. At the third there was an exchange, as a result of which Mmoh surprised the Pole with an excellent backhand on the line and the break to 2:1 became a fact.
Hurkacz was very lucky then that his opponent was no longer serving at a high level. This allowed the Pole to bite his rival on the return and finally work out the desired break points. In the fourth game, Mmoh saved himself twice with a pass and managed to make it 3:1. After changing sides, the Wroclawian again pressed the 25-year-old on the serve and again had two break points. This time, however, he played great on the return, getting a break on the third after a successful action at the net.
Poland’s missed opportunities
In the final phase of the decisive part, emotions reached their zenith. At 4-4 Mmoh had two break points. Then the Pole kept a cool head. He canceled the first with a winning forehand, on the second he sent an ace. It was frustrating for the American that there was nothing more he could do, and the world’s 17th man ran away at 5-4.
After the change of sides, the pressure shifted to the home player. The USA representative defended the first matchball with a great serve. After a while, there was a murderous exchange, as a result of which Hurkacz worked out the second. This time Mmoh moved to the net and closed the action with a volley. After a while, the American also repelled the third match ball, which he led to a double fault, playing an excellent pass. In the end, he managed to win the game and equalized at 5.
The next two games were probably won by the servers, so the match was decided by a tie-break. Hurkacz made up for the loss of mini-breaks twice and the change of sides was a 3-3 draw. After a great action on the return, Mmoh moved up to 5-3. The Pole scored another point, but after the service ace, the American had two match balls. The meeting came to an end when the Wroclawian, after a short action, put his backhand into the net.
For the fourth time in his career, Hurkacz finished his performance in the main bracket of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at the second round. Previously, this happened in 2018, 2019 and 2022. On Tuesday, he sent 20 aces, but also got broken three times. It wasn’t until the third set that he was able to work out break points. However, he converted only 1 of 7 chances, and scored five points less than the American (118-123).
The victorious Mmoh will play his next match in the singles tournament only on Thursday. His opponent in the duel for the quarter-finals will be seeded with the 16th number American Jeffrey John Wolf (ATP 45) or Moldovan Radu Albot (ATP 97).
The defeated Hurkacz still had doubles to cheer himself up. On Wednesday, together with American Frances Tiafoe, he will fight for the semi-finals. After the end of the competition in Washington, he will go to Toronto, where he will defend his points from last year’s final in Canada.
Mubadala Citi DC OpenWashington (USA)
ATP 500, hard court, $2.013 million prize pool
Tuesday, August 1
2nd round of singles:
Michael Mmoh (USA) – Hubert Hurkacz (Poland, 4) 6:3, 6:7(4), 7:6(4)
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2023-08-01 22:45:17
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