TOURNAMENT UPDATE Well, today was a great day for individual sports competition in Cancun, with the Business Women's 5K this morning, and the finals of the Men's Open Tennis, ATP Challenger Tour, this afternoon. Pitted against each other in the final of the Men's Open, played at 2:00 PM today, were Nicolas Massu, of Chile, and Grega Zemlya, of Slovakia. There was some outstanding tennis played, with the two men rather closely matched in power and skill. Conditions for play were perfect, with the clay court in great condition, and the temperature and weather ideal. Massu put on quite a show, challenging calls and often commenting on some aspect of the judging. At one point, he stopped the play when two women stood up in the stands, while Zemlya was serving to him. These displays did seem to have their intended effect, appearing to throw off Zemlya's concentration, at times. As TraceyUK informed us, admission was just 50 pesos, making this a bargain priced, quality sporting event. I left shortly before the end of the match, with the score at one set for Massu, and Massu leading the second set 6-5, after breaking Zemlya's service. As soon as I know the final score, and outcome of the match, I'll update this post. LATE UPDATE: Massu won, 6,3; 7,5
Unfortunately Massu won- it means he can now compete in the Australian Open. The guy who lost Grega Zemlja was the champion here last year and a truly nice guy. Tracey
Massu is already 30, and may not go much further, TraceyUK, so you don't need to feel too bad. He's been at it a while, already, having won the Olympics Men's Singles in 2004; but, he hasn't been a consistent winner in the "big leagues," it seems. His game didn't strike me as all that strong, though he was consistent in long rallies, winning most of them. I thought Zemlya made a nice figure on the court, and often hit his shots with authority; but, he showed impatience, at times- particularly when he had a chance to go ahead- costing him points and, perhaps, the match. He also seemed to display occasional episodes of inattentiveness, leaving him standing, now and then, as Massu's shots sailed past. Massu's conduct on the court came close to "unsportsmanlike," in my opinion, and the crowd whistled at him, several times, showing their disapproval of his antics. As for the crowd, in general, their behavior was exemplary, with round applause for good tennis, regardless of who won the point; and, with ample justification for the whistling at Massu. The match could have gone either way, making for a very enjoyable afternoon of tennis, on a warm and sunny November day in Cancun. (Are you paying attention, Gonzo?)
