Mayhem, Magic and More At Sarasota Open

If you were at the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open today you saw it all, drama, some chaos and some magical tennis.

The mayhem happened before the Corentin Denolly vs Geoffrey Blancaneaux match even started. Both were lucky losers into main draw and as they were in the warm-up before the match the scoreboard said the two players were Denolly vs Popko, who withdrew today with an injury and was replaced by Blancaneaux.

I know what Popko looks like and realized the error. During the player intros, the chair umpire Ogbonna Chilaka introduced Blancaneaux as Popko. Apparently the internet was down and Chilaka did not get the memo. Denolly tried to correct Chilaka and a 20 minute delay ensued. Finally the match began without the scoreboard.

The two French wizards put on a show, 26 yr old righty Blancaneaux (ranked 294) won the first set 62 and escaped a 25 deficit in set two with five straight games to win 75 after 27 year old lefty Denolly (269) who saved three match points with some daring backhands and volleys. There was drama at 2-4 30-all as Blancaneaux insisted Denolly’s passing shot was wide and he showed the mark Chilaka refused to accept while not being able to show a mark to prove the linesperson made the correct call. That argument created another long delay, this time about ten minutes as the supervisor declined to change the call. Blancaneaux lost the next point to lose the game for 25 but then rolled to victory. They had played once before in 2018 with Denolly winning 62 64 at Rennes Challenger qualifying.

The no. 1 seed Eliot Spizzirri averted the infamous no. 1 seed jinx at Sarasota Open and beat Sascha Geuymard Wayenberg of France 76 61. Spizzirri, who beat Joao Fonseca at US Open qualies last year in a classic marathon ultra high level thriller, did a Biofile interview with me during his post match meal and it’s a fantastic Biofile. Stay tuned for that.

The most eye catching match of the day was Liam Draxl vs Gonzalo Bueno of Peru on outer court 14. The powerhouse Canadian and ex Kentucky Wildcat star Draxl overcame the consistency and drop shotting of Bueno 75 64. Bueno, coached for eight years by ex Roger Federer conqueror at Roland Garros, Luis Horna, must have used two dozen drop shots. It was super close and Draxl released a huge roar at the end. He took off his shirt and left the court looking like a football linebacker, his muscles did not look like a tennis player. One very impressed observer said audibly, “He really wanted it.” Yes, the animated and more intense Draxl clearly wanted and needed the win more than the more calm and collected Bueno.

Michael Mmoh grinded out a 63 63 win vs Daniel Dutra da Silva, the 36 year old Brazilian qualifier who looks like he can play for 24 straight hours he’s so consistent. Mmoh had an extra gear in his arsenal and though it was a hard fought struggle, the 27 year old Bradeton resident eventually figured out the combinations to secure the win.

It was another heartbreak for local kid Martin Damm, who lost in the first round two years ago to eventual champion Daniel Altmaier 75 in the third. Today Damm won the first set 61 vs ex Michigan Wolverine Patrick Maloney but then squandered the second set 36 and then two match points at 54 in the third, 15-40. Maloney would hold and then hit a stunning magical forehand cross winner on the sideline off a drop volley off the line that wowed the crowd and resulted in Maloney hitting the ground by the livestream camera at net. Shot of the day for sure, though there were some serious contenders for that honor. Damm would lose again 75 in the third, with the IMG crew, Jimmy Arias and his mom and dad in the crowd.

Another painful loss was endured by former top junior 19 year old ranked 322 Joel Schwaerzler of Austria who lost 67 67 to Mitchell Krueger, one game better than last year’s Tallahassee QF 57 67 loss to Krueger, ranked 137 and 31 years old.

The new site at Sarasota Sports Club is a good fit for the tournament as the older, antiquated facility does has a brand new locker room and gym inside the main clubhouse. There have been a few little logistical issues of course, like on Monday, the tournament almost ran out of Wilson balls, the precise black container Wilson balls. The staff scampered to get extra balls, which were the wrong balls but in the end, they just barely escaped by not running out of the contracted Wilson balls. But it really doesn’t matter where this tournament is staged, it’s always a phenomenon. It’s the tennis that sells the event, even if there are not top 100 players in the draw, it’s the high quality level of tennis that draws and mesmerizes the fans.

Photo Credit Ray Collins.

Eliot Spizzirri · Liam Draxl · Martin Damm · Sarasota Open

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