Two Curious First Rounds

Both players got here through rather strange matches...

Fearnley was being completely dominated by Michelsen in the first two sets. Then, Alex's level dropped off completely and never came back, allowing Fearnley to take control of the match without being pushed back. To be fair to him, he did so very well... and his attitude was good throughout the entire match, even while losing. What worries me is that he never looked like winning while being pushed back in the start, a lot of unforced errors that reached just the middle of the net... he was made to look very average, quite frankly. Munar demolished F. Cerundolo, who was coming off the title in Queen's. It was quite a contrast, with Jaume playing with tons of energy and intention, while Dolo was rather "lifeless" and annoyed, something we have seen him do many times in the first rounds! As he usually does, he started pushing for a comeback, but Munar was very clutch and never allowed it, closing the match in three straight sets. We have kind of the same issue in both matches... to determine how good our players actually were... or if it was mainly their opponents allowing them to look great ;)

Fearnley is a player who wants to build his point with a bit of time. He struggles a lot when he is rushed and the one who is pinned back deep. If he is allowed to play more inside the baseline, his point construction is good, often utilizing his excellent net play as well. Munar might not be known as a very attacking player, but we have really seen him adapt offensively, the way he plays on faster surfaces in the last year and a half. Fearnley is better than his rankings and results show, but I also want to be a bit cautious before declaring that he is "in form"...