Magnus Norman (#3) vs. Gianluca Pozzi (First Round)
Norman leads series 2-0. (Last meeting: 2000 Australian Open - R64 - 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, Hard)

Italian Gianluca Pozzi earned an interesting distinction last year. He was the oldest player in the ATP top fifty, at 35 years, 5 months old - a full three years older than his nearest competitor Spain's Francisco Clavet. Despite his advance age (in tennis years), Pozzi had one of his most successful years on the Tour last year reaching the Queen's Club semifinals (defeating Marat Safin and Andre Agassi along the way) along with three other quarterfinal appearances.

So what is Pozzi's secret? Well, the Italian possesses an incredible defensive game and shots that seem effortless. While Pozzi can crack a winner on his forehand (with a very short backswing may I add) he can hit and get backhands back all day long. And sometimes during this match against Norman it DID seem like it was all day long. Despite not having a very impressive serve (first serves in the 90mph range, second serves in the 70s), Pozzi was able to hold his serve all throughout the first set. Norman had two chances to break in the third game and five opportunities in the ninth game but was unable to convert any of them. In contrast, Norman did bring his more powerful game to the first round match. Norman was never threatened on his serve and muscled his groundstrokes that inevitably seemed to come back across the net time and time again. The Swede appeared frustrated through much of the first set with his inability to break through on the Pozzi game. Patience is certainly an important virtue when playing Pozzi. After nearly an hour of play, we reached the first On The Line tiebreak of the tournament.

P: Backhand volley drop shot winner for Norman, Norman 1-0.
N: Pozzi nets a backhand on the tenth stroke of the rally, Norman 2-0.
N: Norman nets a pretty routine forehand, Norman 2-1.
P: Pozzi nets a forehand approach shot, Norman 3-1.
P: A Norman forehand stretches Pozzi, with his forehand landing in the net, Norman 4-1.
N: Backhand lands in the net for Pozzi, Norman 5-1.
N: Norman hits a forehand winner behind Pozzi, Norman 6-1.
P: Norman is stretched and throws up a defensive lob that floats wide, Norman 6-2.
P: Pozzi dropshots, Norman barely gets to it but hits it wide, Norman 6-3.
N: Norman hits a solid forehand deep, Pozzi's nets the backhand, Norman 7-3.

The second set continued much as the first. Pozzi struggled on serve but prevailed and kept making Norman hit an extra shot. In the fourth game, Pozzi was called on a foot fault on his second serve to send the score to 15-40. Pozzi was clearly rattled by the call and had an extended conversation with the chair umpire, even continuing to make his case as he walked back to the baseline. Pozzi sent a forehand long to give Norman the first break of the match and a 3-1 lead. This proved to be the only blip in the match as the players held their serve for the remainder of the match with the one break being enough for Norman to take the set at 6-3. At 1 hour and 43 minutes this was one of the longest straight set matches that I can remember.

Norman blamed jet lag for his not terribly impressive performance today. While not facing a break point on his own serve, the Swede was only to convert 1 of 9 break point opportunities. This is even worse considering Pozzi had an abysmal 26% first serve percentage for the match. Norman meets wildcard Argentinean Jose Acasuso in the second round. Acasuso took out last year's US Open "Cinderella" story, Hyung-Taik Lee, in a third set tiebreaker in a first round today.

Thomas Enqvist (#5) vs. Younes El Ayanoui (First Round)
Series tied at 2-2. (Last meeting: El Ayanoui - 1996 Doha - R16 - 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, Hard)
El Ayanoui leads hardcourt meetings 2-1.

All eyes were on Thomas Enqvist to see how his body would react to his repaired right foot and right shoulder. It was no surprise when the Moroccan El Ayanoui won the coin toss and elected to receive. Right from the start it appeared that the Enqvist comeback was headed for a serious stumbling block. Enqvist went up 30-0 but two double faults lead to a break and a 1-0 El Ayanoui lead. The Swede's second service game was not any better. Two more double faults gave the Moroccan a second break early in the set. But all was not lost for Enqvist just yet, as he broke El Ayanoui in the next game to earn one of the breaks back. This proved to be a turning point in the match. Perhaps it was just some initial jitters in his first match back, but Enqvist's game tightened up at this point and he won two later service games in the first set at love. Despite struggling on his serve and giving Enqvist five opportunities to get the set back on serve, the Moroccan prevailed and won the first set 6-4 in 44 minutes.

Enqvist quickly took control in the second set breaking El Ayanoui in his first service game. The players traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games of the set. Enqvist serve continued to improve as the match went on and he held two more serve games at love to take the second set 6-3. Momentum continued to be in the Swede's favor breaking El Ayanoui in the first game of the third set. Despite throwing in two double faults in his first service game, Enqvist consolidated the break for a 2-0 lead. With Enqvist perhaps tiring physically and El Ayanoui mentally, there were three consecutive breaks of serve in the middle of the set. In the end, Enqvist was up two breaks and took the decisive set 6-2.

Despite the losing effort, El Ayanoui was a crowd favorite during the match. Early in the first set, in what must have been a "miss" by the radar gun, El Ayanoui was credited with a 60 mph ace. Clearly not pleased with the non-reaction from the crowd, the Moroccan lifted his hands up repeatedly to get some applause from the fans. On the next point, a 126 mph service winner from El Ayanoui's racquet he received a substantial ovation. A few games later a couple of doves decided to sit on the net. After last week's State Farm tournament, birds have seriously invaded the stadium court searching for morsels. El Ayanoui held off serving, even holding a finger up to his mouth to hush the crowd to not disturb the birds that were eventually shooed away by a ballkid. El Ayanoui last crowd interaction occurred in the final game of the second set. When a backhand up the line was called out (it appeared to be on the line, pardon the pun, to me), El Ayanoui disputed the call with the chair. Eventually, the usual jokester from the crowd yelled out "C'mon, let's play." El Ayanoui, with a smile on his face, offered his racquet to the individual and responded "Do you want to play?"

Not unlike his countryman, Enqvist will need to improve upon his result from today. Coincidentally, Enqvist also meets a wildcard in the next round, American Mardy Fish. Fish had a come back from behind victory today over Argentinean Juan Ignacio Chela. Should the two Swedes win their second round matches they would meet each other in the quarterfinals.