The Rochester crowd was treated to not one but two marathon semifinals tonight, each worthy of being a final by itself.
First, it was speedy Alfredo Avila that battled his countryman Erik Tepos Valtierra for over an hour and a half in an epic match to earn a spot in the final. That is no typo in the score – the fourth game indeed went to 20-18 with both players giving it their everything. Long rallies, fast aggressive hitting and speedy retrievals, typical of the Mexican style of play. What a treat!
Compared to the first, the second semifinal was a complete contrast in playing styles characterized by deft hands, perfect drops and high lobs into the back corner. The big Australian, Wade Johnstone staged a massive comeback from 0-2 down to overcome the English #2 seed Eddie Charlton in a match that lasted another hour and a half. Both players peppered the game with a number of overhead volley nicks into the corner – and the crowd loved every bit of it!
Tomorrow promises to be an interesting final between Avila and Johnstone with oth finalists displaying two very different styles of play.
Alfredo Avila bt Erik Tepos Valtierra 13-11, 12-10, 9-11, 20-18 (101m)
Wade Johnstone bt Eddie Charlton 7-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (90m)
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