The Hindu : Sport : Srichaphan crashes out

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Saturday, Jan 07, 2006

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Srichaphan crashes out

Nandita Sridhar

— Photo: Vino John

BOUNCED OUT: Paradorn Srichaphan gives vent to his frustration during his match against Kristof Vliegen.

Chennai: All that Kristof Vliegen had to do was turn up for the match. Paradorn Srichaphan made sure that nothing more was required. Fifty three minutes later, Vliegen might have just slipped in a little thank you to Srichaphan for giving him just a featherweight workout after the Belgian had sweated it out in the outside courts, in preparation for a little more.

At the end of it all, just one word came to mind. How? How could a four-time finalist play a match that was, only literally speaking, completely out of line? How could his game, that once took him to world No. 9 spot almost disappear? How did those legs that scorched the court in so many occasions, suddenly turn into brand ambassadors for adhesives?

One just hopes that Srichaphan has atleast a vague idea or two, and that we can watch an extended run of the traditional Thai namaste, next time round. This time, the crowds have to be content with just a bitter memory of a 1-6, 2-6 loss to Kristof Vliegen in the quarterfinals of the Chennai Open, at the Nungambakkam stadium, on Friday.

Vliegen believes his strength is his variety. We have to take his word for it, because any chance that he had to display it, was almost cruelly taken away by a Srichaphan unforced error. But he did get a chance when Srichaphan occasionally got it right, to display a skill or two.

Not to be left out completely, Srichaphan did come up with a shot or two but it seemed to stem more out of frustration and irritation than a need to grab a point. For most part of the match, Srichaphan and the ball had different ideas and the errors just didn't just pour in, they came like an avalanche. A cross-court backhand was what Vliegen chose as the final nail for the coffin to end the agony.

Business as usual

Meanwhile, it was business as usual in the Chennai branch of the Carlos Moya corporation. He devoured the first set, gifted the second and grabbed the third. Nothing new. He's used to it, his opponents are used to it and Chennai is more than used to it. He beat Bjorn Phau 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Though not as deadly as before, Moya did come up with the forehand bombshells when it mattered most, while contending with some splendid returns by Phau. Radek Stepanek bt Thierry Ascione 6-3, 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic bt Gilles Muller 6-1, 6-3.

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