Trueman into IRTPA Satellite final with steely win over Dodgson
Ice cold Sayers wins through Hamilton
Max Trueman will take on Bryn Sayers in the IRTPA Satellite final, with both players having won through tricky semi-final matches at the Aiken Tennis Club on Monday.
Bryn Sayers was hot property in the early stages of his semi-final against Vaughan Hamilton. At 15-30 down in the first game of the match, Sayers struck back-to-back winning galleries to start an unbroken run of points to reach a 3/0 lead. He kept things simple, focused on moving Hamilton from side to side and using the side walls to make things difficult. Hamilton broke the rut with a bevy of well-directed forces, including one straight down the middle of the court that had Sayers ducking for cover. His cut-volleys also started firing, spearing balls sharply into the forehand corner as he won five of the next six games. He saw two set points in the 5/4 game, but Sayers defended both by calmly putting the ball into the openings. In the deciding game, Sayers went 40-15 up after controlling a series of long rallies, then took the set by beating hazard first gallery with a ball into the galleries, Hamilton sliding into the ball trough and accidentally tossing his racket in a desperate attempted defence.
Into the second set, Sayers reduced Hamilton to having to spend most of his time loopily returning difficult backhands, with Sayers time and time again sending another punishing ball back into the same place. Hamilton was trying to break the pattern but rarely saw an attacking opportunity, and when he did, Sayers had the answer. The bellwether of Sayers’s confidence was his increased target count for the set, allowing himself to go for his shots where previously he was defensively nudging them into another corner. Hamilton didn’t win a game in the second set, with Sayers moving on to the final.
Sayers’s next opponent would be one of Josh Dodgson or Max Trueman, who were playing in the second semi-final. Trueman approached the match serving mainly giraffes and chandelles, enjoying the over-hit response from Dodgson. Meanwhile, Dodgson stuck with his railroad, enjoying the traditional shape of the rallies that followed. As such, the service end was the place to accrue games, though both players were able to force plenty for the dedans from the hazards. Dodgson opened a 3/1 lead, which Trueman closed down, and then again a 5/3 lead, which Trueman again closed down. Trueman started the deciding game at the service end, which proved the key factor in deciding the set as he already had two set points before Dodgson could lay a chase.
Both players kept the tactics largely the same for the second set, with the ultimate goal to win and then hold the service end. Trueman did test the waters with a couple of railroads after Dodgson went 2/0 up, but quickly abandoned the plan. Dodgson started to lose the length of his own railroad, with Trueman able to get some decent forces away. The strength of the latter’s defences proved key as he was better able to use his time at the service end to win the next three games. Dodgson started to find more chases through the galleries, hazards or long drives, earning more time with the serve and bringing the score to 4-all with a couple of points for a 5/4 lead. But Trueman held strong, earning the 5/4 lead himself then going on to win the match after several match points from deuce in the following game.
Sayers and Trueman will now face off in the IRTPA Satellite final on Tuesday, which is all in the lead-up to the IRTPA Player’s Championship, which kicks off in earnest on Wednesday.
Match results:
5:00 PM: Bryn Sayers (1) def Vaughan Hamilton (4) 6/5 6/0
6:30 PM: Josh Dodgson (3) lost to Max Trueman 5/6 4/6
Order of play for Tuesday (all times EST):
4:00 PM: Bryn Sayers (1) vs Max Trueman