By Amanda H. LeMay
Although there weren’t many ATP matches on Monday, the Racquet Club in Memphis was bustling with energy as players were arriving and fans started pouring in for the first rounds. Starting off the day was the 8th seed Bernard Tomic who had been in town since Friday, helped out with the draw and took in a Memphis Grizzlies NBA game Saturday night. Many thought he might go far in the draw after a great start to the season in Australia but the big hitting Croatian, Ivan Dodig, came ready to play and walked away with a the victory when Tomic netted a routine volley in a tough 3rd set tiebreak.
Next up was a men’s doubles match featuring Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey. The 2010 doubs champs had two tries to serve out the match the second set but ended up getting it done in a tiebreak against the 4th seeds Gonzalez/Kas. Querrey, who will play his first round singles match tomorrow against Alejandro Falla, is being coached right now by Brad Gilbert. Brad arrived today and was seen eating lunch onsite and taking in the doubles match from the player’s box.
The last match of the day featured American Donald Young and up and comer Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria. After a nervous start from both they traded breaks and ended up in a tiebreak. Young won the first but Dimitrov stormed back in the second to force a third set decider. After trading breaks again it was only fitting that another tiebreak would decide it. Young got the first mini-break but gave away the next two sevice points. It seemed that maybe Grigor would take it but Young fought back and ended up taking care of his serve at 7-6 to win the match.
Other notable sightings of the day:
– Andy Roddick driving up to the club in a loaned black Yukon for a practice session.
– Milos Raonic arriving and getting mobbed for autographs left and right while trying to walk to the practice courts. He signed everything in sight.
– Doubles champs Nestor and Mirnyi eating in the Club ballroom for lunch.
– Grigor Dimitrov catching a bit of the Quisner doubles match before his own match began.
Day two features a host of Americans including Querrey, Isner, Kendrick (who qualified), Harrison vs Sock, Blake vs Sweeting and 2010 Wimbledon champions Melzer/Petzschner in doubles. Should be another great day!
Reunited Quisner duo wins in doubles
Scoop Malinowski · February 21, 2012 at 4:22 am
Awesome report Amanda, love your reporting style, facts, personal observations and details, you are a natural, the article leaves one clamoring to read more tomorrow! Nice win for DY, rough losses for Tomic and Dimitrov. Raonic is a classy kid, very nice to learn he signs for everyone, he is like Rafa in that respect. A natural champion.
Amanda · February 21, 2012 at 4:32 am
Thanks for the kind words. 😉 So glad for the opportunity to be here!
Jess Stein · February 21, 2012 at 4:44 am
Did Young play very well or Grigor suck? I can’t believe my boy lost. T__T