Seeds Spadea, Baby Mario Into Semifinals at Scottsdale
Posted on February 26, 2005No. 2 seed Vincent Spadea continued his mastery of countryman James Blake 7-6(6), 6-1 in quarterfinal play Friday at the Tennis Channel Open in Scottsdale, moving one step closer to successfully defending his lone career ATP title.
Blake performed the throat-clutcher in the first-set tiebreak, coming back from a 2-6 deficit but eventually double faulting to hand Spadea the set.
"I was up a break and had a set point serving at 5-3 (in the first set), then I got broken," said Spadea, who has now beaten Blake five straight. "I just hung in there and mentally I bounced back and it was see-saw in the tiebreaker. He's coming back from a rough year, and I developed a game plan that's working."
In the semis Spadea will face No. 3 seed Mario Ancic, who rolled past Giovanni "Little L." Lapentti 6-1, 6-4.
"It took me a while to get used to the conditions, coming from indoors the last two weeks, along with the time change," Baby Goran said. "I'm happy to be in the semifinals."
Also into the semis were unseeded players Christophe "The Roach" Rochus (d. Sanguinetti) and Aussie serving machine Wayne Arthurs (d. Glenn "I.C." Weiner).
"I won't change my game plan against him," said Arthurs on facing the scampering Roach. "He hits the ball softly and he knows how I play so it should be a competitive match."
Spadea won his lone meeting with Baby Goran in 2002, while Arthurs and The Roach will meet for the first time.
Today's doubles semifinals in Scottsdale will be Oliver/Parrott vs. (2) Arthurs/Hanley, and (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. Ancic/Coetzee.
Blake performed the throat-clutcher in the first-set tiebreak, coming back from a 2-6 deficit but eventually double faulting to hand Spadea the set.
"I was up a break and had a set point serving at 5-3 (in the first set), then I got broken," said Spadea, who has now beaten Blake five straight. "I just hung in there and mentally I bounced back and it was see-saw in the tiebreaker. He's coming back from a rough year, and I developed a game plan that's working."
In the semis Spadea will face No. 3 seed Mario Ancic, who rolled past Giovanni "Little L." Lapentti 6-1, 6-4.
"It took me a while to get used to the conditions, coming from indoors the last two weeks, along with the time change," Baby Goran said. "I'm happy to be in the semifinals."
Also into the semis were unseeded players Christophe "The Roach" Rochus (d. Sanguinetti) and Aussie serving machine Wayne Arthurs (d. Glenn "I.C." Weiner).
"I won't change my game plan against him," said Arthurs on facing the scampering Roach. "He hits the ball softly and he knows how I play so it should be a competitive match."
Spadea won his lone meeting with Baby Goran in 2002, while Arthurs and The Roach will meet for the first time.
Today's doubles semifinals in Scottsdale will be Oliver/Parrott vs. (2) Arthurs/Hanley, and (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. Ancic/Coetzee.