The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Goodall triumphs at Indore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 13, 2004

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Sport - Tennis

Goodall triumphs at Indore

By Kamesh Srinivasan

INDORE, JUNE 12. He came good when it mattered. Joshua Goodall played an all-round game in outwitting compatriot Richard Irwin in an all-British affair, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the final of the Shimla ITF Satellite tennis tournament at the Indore Tennis Club courts here on Saturday.

It was the maiden title on the international circuit for the 18-year-old Goodall, who has been keeping himself busy this season with tournaments in the U.S., Portugal, Japan and Korea, apart from a few events back home. The best for him had been making the final of the Futures in Korea last month, when he lost in three sets to Gouichi Motomura of Japan, after having come through the qualifying event.

Seventh-seeded Goodall, with a modest ranking of 816, played confidently and faced only one breakpoint, that too following a doublefault. Otherwise, he had Irwin, three months older to him, on a tight leash, smacking repeated passing shots and resounding winners on either flank.

In contrast, Irwin's serve lacked the usual sting, perhaps because he was drained after having faced a string of quality players including top-seeded Sunil Kumar on the way to the final. Irwin was broken in the sixth game of the first set, when Goodall came up with a lob on second breakpoint.

There was a sign of nerves when Goodall missed three setpoints after being 40-0 in the ninth game, but he came up with a forehand crosscourt winner and a big serve to clinch the set.

The second set was more evenly contested, once Irwin saved a breakpoint in the first game. Goodall himself saved the only breakpoint against him in the second game, with a service winner. Thereafter, both players served well to force the tie-breaker.

Goodall had a favourable net-chord for a 3-2 lead in the tie-breaker and served big to take a 5-2 lead, after which it was difficult for Irwin to recover.

Goodall had two aces, and 30 winners, including eight passing shots. In comparison, Irwin had five aces and only 13 winners, including four volleys, that clearly indicated who called the shots. It was the first clash between the two in international competition, and Goodall stopped using the doublefisted forehand quickly once he realised that Irwin was trying to cash in on it by hitting three winners into his forehand corner in the second game of the match.

The winner collected $812.50 and 21 circuit points and the runner-up, $562.50 and 15 circuit points.

The next two legs of the circuit, apart from the Masters, will be played at the DLTA Complex in Delhi from Monday.

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