Francisco Clavet vs. Guillermo Canas (Second Round)
Clavet leads series 3-1. (Last Meeting: Canas - 2001 Buenos Aires - Clay - 1st Round - 6-7, 7-5, 7-6)
Clavet leads on hardcourt 1-0.

This was an interesting match-up between two clay courters. How would Francisco Clavet come back after taking out Andre Agassi in the first round and would Guillermo Canas continue his fairly successful year where he has already reached the quarters of Buenos Aires (defeating Clavet for the first time) and the semifinals of Acapulco just last week. Canas started the match impressively with a break of the Clavet serve on his first break point and went out to an early 3-0 lead. I had expected yet another backhand heavy match between the Argentinean Canas and Spaniard Clavet, but was quickly corrected as Canas dominated the first several games with a very impressive and strong forehand. The two players battled aggressively on the baseline, with Clavet able to break back and even the match when he Canas got out of position by running around his backhand to hit a forehand and give Clavet an open court for an easy winner. Not unexpectedly and especially given the score of their last meeting, the first set went to tiebreak.

GC: Clavet retrieves two smash attempts with Canas netting the third defensive lob, Clavet 1-0.
FC: Clavet works the Canas backhand and then sends an inside-out forehand to the opposite side of the court for a winner, Clavet 2-0.
FC: A forehand pass by Clavet, Clavet 3-0.
GC: Canas does a little skip-jump combo with a backhand, Clavet nets a foreheand, Clavet 3-1.
GC: A Canas backhand lands in the net much to his dismay as he screams wildly, Clavet 4-1.
FC: Clavet serves out wide, gets a short reply from Canas, hits deep, Canas lob goes long, Clavet 5-1.
FC: Canas's backhand service return goes long, Clavet 6-1.
GC: A deep forehand down the line by Canas, Clavet nets forehand, Clavet 6-2.
GC: Backhand crosscourt winner from Canas, Clavet 6-3.
FC: Clavet sends a backhand long on the 13th stroke of a rally, Clavet 6-4.
FC: Forehand winner from Canas just hitting the sideline, Clavet 6-5.
GC: On the 7th stroke, Canas hits a forehand long, Clavet 7-5.

The first set took 57 minutes to complete with little seperating the two players.

Despite winning the tiebreak, the momentum did not shift to Clavet at the start of the second set. Canas broke Clavet's serve to start the set on his fifth break point with a backhand down the line winner. The fifth game, with Canas leading 3-1, would be the beginning of a very controversial couple of games. With the game at deuce on Clavet's serve, Clavet apparently won the point but there was some kind of overrule from the chair umpire, Adao Chagas, prior to the final shot. Chagas never made it clear to the crowd what had happened and Clavet was clearly disturbed by the call and argued it vigorously. Perhaps rattled by the late call, Clavet netted a forehand to give Canas a second break in the set and a 4-1 lead.

Things did not get any better for the Spaniard in Canas's next service game. Canas battled back to deuce after falling down 15-40 on his serve. Once again at deuce, Clavet appeared to have won the point when the chair announced that Canas had won the point. With the crowd behind him, Clavet once again argued with the chair to no avail. Canas held for 5-1. With no confidence in the chair, Clavet disputed a backhand to the sideline that was called out in his next service game (I was on this side, opposite to the chair, and this one did appear to be wide). Clavet denied Canas three set points in the game that went to three deuces.

Clavet continued to have discussions with the Chagas during the changeover. Clavet, clearly wanting to appeal the alleged bad calls, remained seated until the chair gave him a 15 second time warning to get back on the court. Canas, serving to even the match, fell down quickly on his serve and sent a forehand long to give Clavet one of the breaks back, though still maintaining a 5-3 set lead. Clavet taking some of his anger out on the ball with some aggressive hitting held for 5-4. A higher tournament official greeted Clavet at this changeover. He spoke with both Chagas and the riled up Spaniard, who still was not pleased with outcome.

Canas served for the set a second time, but similar to his last service game, feel down quickly and did not get a first serve (Canas's serves tended to be in the upper 110s first serve and lower 80s for the second). Clavet earned the second break back and evened the match at 5-5. Clavet held his next service game with Canas slamming his racquet down into his bag on the changeover after blowing a 5-1 second set lead. Perhaps having all the Clavet chair controversies wearing away at him mentally, Canas committed two forehand errors to level the twelth game at 30-30. Clavet passed Canas with a forehand to set up his first match point. On the next point, a Canas swinging forehand volley clipped the net and sailed long. Clavet enthusiastically pumped his fists towards his camp. Needless to say, there was no handshake for the chair umpire following the match.

Andrea Gaudenzi vs. Nicolas Massu (Second Round)
First Meeting.

Following the thrilling come from behind win by Clavet, it seemed as if it would be difficult for the next match to top it in intensity. I was curious to see the Chilean Nicolas Massu who of course is hoped to be the next great player on the heels of the country's current superstar Marcelo Rios. The Chilean fans were out in force (well, okay seven of them were) with the flags and wide-brimmed hats to support the 21 year old. Depending on who you were rooting for there was either a lot or little to cheer about, as the Massu broke the Italian Gaudenzi's first two service games for a 4-0 lead. While Massu was playing solid tennis, it was Gaudenzi's barrage of unforced errors and apparent inability to get a groove on Massu's serve that decided the first set in the Chilean's favor 6-1 in 33 minutes.

The match appeared to be drawing to a fast end. Massu again broke Gaudenzi in his first two service games with the Italian double faulting to give the Chilean a second break and 3-0 lead. Massu faced a break point on his serve in the sixth game but held for 5-1. The only interesting aspect of the match thus far was Massu being called for a time violation on his serve in the fourth game (hmmm.. remember this dear reader). Massu had his first loose game in the eight game of the second set, with Gaudenzi tightening up his game a bit to earn one of the breaks back. Gaudenzi held for the third time in the set for 5-4.

Serving for the match a second time, Massu quickly got into trouble thanks to three straight forehand errors of his own for 0-40. Gaudenzi made two forehand errors at the net to bring the game to 30-40. At this critical point, the crowd gasped as the umpire announced "Time violation Mr. Massu, point penalty, game Gaudenzi, five all." Needless to say Massu was livid. The Chilean rushed to chair intimating that he did not receive a ball in time or that a ball had slipped when he was preparing to serve. The crowd booed loudly as Massu, who really did not seem to be spending an exorbitant amount of time between serves, continued to argue the penalty and took a seat awaiting the second appearance of the tournament umpire for the day. After at least a five minute delay and prolonged discussion, the call stood.

As was the case with Clavet, Massu channeled his anger into the next Gaudenzi service game. He broke for 6-5 when the Italian double faulted then sent his next forehand volley into the net. Massu, serving for the match for a third time, opened with a double fault. Later in the game, the players engaged in a very long and looping topspin rally with a Massu forehand clipping the net and landing long to give Gaudenzi two set points. Massu recovered quickly for 30-40, but was broken when a forehand landed into the net as the crowd began to rumble and giggle after a 20+ stroke rally. The set would be decided by a tiebreak.

G: Massu slipping on the baseline, leads Gaudenzi to hit a forehand long, Massu 1-0.
M: Massu smashes a winner, Massu 2-0.
M: On the 31st stroke (!) of a rally, Massu delicately hits a backhand approach up the line for a winner, Massu 3-0.
G: Massu cracks a forehand crosscourt winner on the 15th stroke, Massu 4-0.
G: Gaudenzi hits a forehand wide early in the point, Massu 5-0.
M: Forehand down the line goes wide for Massu, Massu 5-1.
M: 85mph second serve ace, Massu 6-1.
G: A forehand down the line winner for Massu on the 7th stroke, 7-1.

Another huge reaction for the winner of this match, with the crowd roaring that the "wronged" player once again prevailed and won the match. An incredible day of tennis that definitely proved that even a two- break lead can never be a sure thing in a match. After these emotional victories, Massu and Clavet will meet tomorrow in the quarterfinals.