Montreal – 3R

Viktor Troicki [15] just like Nadal yesterday, lost a match in which had opportunities to win both losing sets; taking into account the progress of his match with Gael Monfils [7], I’m prone to say that his loss is more painful than Nadal’s one. Troicki was a dominant figure through a  set and a half, he led 6-3, 4:3* (30-0), but Monfils managed to hold his serve winning a spectacular point at 15-30 in that game, which gave him the first reason for the fist pump. The Frenchman survived three match points serving at 5:6 – Troicki had the best chance on the first match point but missed awfully, trying to finish it off with a backhand down the line. The Serb had the match in his hands again in the 3rd set, led 5:3, and was serving at 5:4 (30 all) – made a double fault… In the tie-break he saved three consecutive match points, but on the fourth, Monfils fired an ace followed by a little dance of victory. Troicki has distincitvely the worst m.p. record among the tennis elite: 1-7 #.
In the same time on the other court, Mardy Fish got revenge for losing to Ernests Gulbis in the Los Angeles final two weeks ago. Fish lost 4-6 in the 3rd set then, this time prevailed 6-4 in the 3rd (Gulbis in the 9th game saved 5 match points on serve). Jo-Wilfried Tsonga impressed a lot (especially in the deciding set) in the last match of the day, dissmising Roger Federer 7-6, 4-6, 6-1. Tsonga saved a set point with a powerful serve in the 1st set, he has beaten Federer twice in Montreal, and twice in the last two months. “He’s confident right now and he played an excellent third set,” said Federer, “The first two sets were tighter. I should maybe have won the first one. I had some opportunities. In the second I was able to hold my serve. I might have won, but he was able to finish off the match very well.”

# Troicki’s m.p. matches (1-7):

2008, Moscow: M.Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 5-7 – 2 m.p.
2009, Umag: M.Gonzalez 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6) – 3 m.p.
2009, Basel: M.Cilic 6-7(7), 7-6(8), 6-7(6)  – 3 m.p.
2010, Belgrade: S.Wawrinka 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-7(6)  – 2 m.p.
2010, Wimbledon: J.Melzer 7-6(5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(6), 3-6 – 1 m.p.
2010, Tokyo: J.Melzer 7-6(7), 3-6, 7-6(3) –  1 m.p.
2010, Tokyo: R.Nadal 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-7(7) –  2 m.p.
2011, Montreal: G.Monfils 6-3, 6-7(0), 6-7(5) –  3 m.p.