Irish no.3 Conor Gannon upsets former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard
Tomic 6-7 6-4 7-6
By Stephen Higgins
Ireland’s Conor Gannon pulled off the biggest upset so far at the Dublin
Challenger as he outlasted former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard
Tomic 6-7 6-4 7-6 on Tuesday.
In overcast but balmy conditions at Elm Park, the Irish no.3 endured
nearly three hours of play with his high profile Australian opponent
before delighting the crowd with a very welcome Irish victory.
The first set was a cagey affair, with Tomic deploying a passive style
of rallying, comfortable to rely on his serve to progress through the
contest. The onus was on the more attacking Gannon to inject aggression,
but that also led to untimely errors.
After a close back-and-forth in the opener with one break of serve
apiece, it was left to a tie-break to decide matters. Tomic successfully
managed his tennis while Gannon donated a few loose points. It
eventually went 7-4 to the former world no.17.
Despite the setback, Davis Cup regular Gannon did his best to regroup
for the crucial second set.
Given his proficiency in doubles, it was no surprise to see the Irishman
showcase his net skills throughout the contest. He generally tried to
unsettle the Aussie with his backhand slice, before opening the court
with his forehand and finishing with a volley.
Across the net, despite his 6′ 5″ frame, Tomic has a surprisingly
passive style of play for a man with four ATP titles and previous wins
over Marin Cilic, David Ferrer and Kei Nishikori.
This gave opportunities to the Dubliner and he was able to pressure the
Australian on return throughout the second set. After knocking on the
door a number of times, Gannon made the crucial break at 5-4 to level
the match and give the boisterous crowd a decider.
With the unpredictable nature of Tomic’s tennis, and the natural
excitement within Gannon at the opportunity before him, the third set
proved tense. The Australian broke immediately and then held his own
delivery to nudge closer to the finish line.
Spirits could have sapped, but Gannon is a tough competitor having
already competed in thirteen tour events this season. Willed on by a
supportive crowd, Gannon held his serve and broke back to level at 2-2.
The match turned once more however. It looked like the end for the
Irishman as Tomic broke again to get within a game of victory at 5-3.
But the 24-year-old kept fighting and snatched a break to prolong the
contest.
Fittingly, the match would be settled by another tie-break. But this
time the momentum went firmly with the home favourite. A determined
Gannon took advantage of the ailing Aussie as he propelled himself to a
healthy 5-0 lead.
With five match points at 6-1, Gannon’s wide serve from the ad side
resulted in a missed return from Tomic and the biggest singles result of
the Irishman’s career. With a ranking of 1,085 going into Elm Park,
Gannon had toppled the world no.192. A gap of nearly 900 places counted
for nothing on the day.
Earlier, Ireland’s no.2 Peter Buldorini went out 4-6 2-6 to the
incredibly impressive 18-year-old Mees Rottgering. A former junior world
no.1, the lefty Dutchman showed tremendous power throughout the contest
and will be one to watch over the coming week and beyond.
