It’s been a huge week for me this week at the Australian F9 Future event here at Olympic Park, Homebush Sydney. I made it through to the Quarter Finals losing in a tight (3 sets) match in a tie-breaker 5-7 in the third to top seed Greg Jones. After feeling shattered to lose a match so close to topping the No.1 seed here, I take away some experience and confidence into next week’s event here. Thanks to everyone, family and close friends who came and supported me.
Also, thanks to Mark McGowan Sports Journalist covering this Tennis Australia Pro Tour event here at Homebush for his wrap on my matches (they can be found below) and overall great coverage of this event. Thanks Mark http://acelandtennis.com.au/
“Mott stuns Saville in Sydney International boilover”
By Marc McGowan08/10/2013 17:31:00
(http://acelandtennis.com.au/news/116-mott-stuns-saville-in-sydney-international-boilover.html)
“I’m really happy with the result … I was a bit nervous the last time I played him, so I tried to learn from that last experience today. “I don’t think he played his best tennis today, but I played pretty well, so I’m happy with it.” Mott is among Australia’s brightest talents and represented his country in the Junior Davis Cup last year, but has taken a different route to many of his rivals. Mott played his first Futures event as a 14-year-old in Turkey at the start of 2011 and has already largely left juniors behind. Saville’s scalp sits comfortably alongside Mott’s upset of West Australian-raised British player Brydan Klein in China in April in the best wins of his career. He went ahead for the first time at 3-2 in the opening set before an errant Saville backhand handed Mott a 4-2 lead on his fifth break-point chance for the game. A further break in the eighth game put Mott a set up. The finish line looked close when the Melbourne-based New South Welshman, playing in front of an army of family, jumped out to a 3-1 second-set advantage. The occasion finally got to Mott at that stage and he played a poor game on serve – sending a backhand slice long then over-hitting a forehand to gift Saville the break back. Errors temporarily began to flow from Mott’s racquet and he went down a break at 4-3. A decision to take some extra time between points in the following game earned Mott a violation, but helped him regain his composure. He put together a great receiving game and played a wonderfully constructed point to level the set at four-all. Mott held for 5-4 then trailed 40-0 on Saville’s next service game, only to reel off the next four points to stare victory in the face. Saville saved the first match point – punching a forehand volley into the open court – but not a second as he failed to retrieve Mott’s deep backhand return. “I always try and base my game around being aggressive and sometimes when the nerves get the better of me I go into my shell,” he said.
“The more I play and the more I get in those situations, I can learn to be more aggressive and that’s my aim – to play that tennis I want to play.” Mott faces Japan’s Kento Takeuchi for a quarter-final spot.”
http://acelandtennis.com.au/news/124-jones-reaches-sydney-semi-finals-at-gallant-mott-s-expense.html
“Jones reaches Sydney semi-finals at Mott’s expense”
TOP seed Greg Jones drew on all his experience to pip promising teenager Blake Mott in their cliff-hanger Sydney International quarter-final this afternoon.
Jones, 24, was close to defeat when fellow New South Welshman Mott held comfortably for a 4-1 third-set lead. His mood darkened two games earlier when he dumped a limp forehand into the bottom of the net to enable Mott to consolidate the break.
A code violation for an audible obscenity followed. But one poor Mott service game re-opened the door for Jones.
The 17-year-old fell behind the count – due to an unforced error then a booming Jones forehand – and, with the pressure mounting, delivered back-to-back double faults to concede serve. Mott served just one other double fault for the match. The result was eventually decided in a tiebreaker.
Mott won a forehand exchange to snatch an early mini-break, but gave it up immediately on the same wing. He edged ahead again at 5-4, but the key moment came two points later. A Jones forehand nicked the tape and popped over and Mott only just managed to recover it, but his rival was in prime position for an easy put away to earn his first match point.
Mott then netted a forehand to hand Jones a 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) victory and a semi-final shot at third seed Adam Feeney.
“He played really well and I didn’t play very well in the first set. I played a little bit better in the second set and I thought we both played well in the third set,” Jones said.
“I felt like a fair bit was going against me in the first set or two.
“There were a couple of net cords and some shots he hit late and went in, but I definitely got lucky towards the end of the match, so I’m thankful.”
Jones, who conceded just a combined 16 service points in his two earlier victories against Andrej Lukic and Calum Puttergill, was 2-0 up in each of the first two sets.
He bullied Mott early, with the youngster’s forehand repeatedly dropping short. Mott’s forehand was his barometer and his improvement with that shot, including a scorching return to set up the break in the second game of the third set, was pivotal to his comeback.
Jones said it was “a nightmare” playing against free-swinging teenagers.
“They’re going out there and being pretty aggressive and going for their shots,” Jones said.
“And when they’re going in, like they were today, it makes it really, really difficult for me. I was just a bit slow at the start as well and, credit to him, he came out firing.””
