Marach has a lesson or two for Ghouse

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, MARCH 7. Mustafa Ghouse learnt a lesson in intimidating tennis he is not likely to forget. The Indian national grasscourt champion was on a roll against third seed Oliver Marach, leading 3-1 in the first set and looking confident enough to make a match of it in a second round match of the International Tennis Federation's Men's Satellite Circuit here on Wednesday.

A disputed line call forced the Austrian to blow his fuse in the fifth game which he lost, taking an angry swipe at the next ball at game-point. The third seed looked likely to self-destruct at this stage, down 1-4 against a lesser ranked rival appearing to do everything right. It could happen to anyone, but Marach just played out the next four points to hold serve and then quietly took apart Ghouse's game inside 64 minutes.

``I played well to lead 4-1, but then for some reason was just not able to repeat that performance,'' said the only Indian among the six included in the main draw to advance beyond the first round.

``Marach is too experienced to let go such opportunities.''

The Austrian won 6-4, 6-1 and now awaits eighth seed Radim Zitko of Czech Republic in the quarterfinal phase of this event organised by the National Sports Club of India. But there will be many more like Ghouse at the receiving end of his fury. Marach showed how a rival's morale can be shattered by counter- attacking, inducing a fear of failure in his opponent.

South Africa's Donovan September survived a two hour, 40-minute duel against Russia's Alex Gavilrov before booking a quarterfinal berth. The seventh seed won a three-setter after the third set tie-breaker stretched to 7-5, a hard day on court compared to the other seeds who advanced into the next stage.

The Indian pair of Nitin Kirtane and Sourav Panja booked a berth in the men's doubles semifinals, defeating the Russian duo of Artem Derepasko and Michail Elgin 7-6 (6-3), 6-4.

Mustafa Ghouse began with an aggressive show of serve- and-volley tennis, but by the time the end came he had seen so many passing shots whizz past that it made more sense to remain on the baseline. Ghouse's speed and reflexes at the net, so pronounced in the first set, was no protection against the stream of volleys flowing off Marach's racquet, many of the shots directed at the onrushing Indian's feet.

The Austrian, trailing 1-4 at one stage, won the next five games, aided by three breaks, to win the set 6-4, dominating at every part of the court, gaining points off service returns, slipping in an ace in the seventh game and forcing the Indian in hapless positions with thundering forehand cross-court and backhand down the line shots.

Ghouse didn't know what hit him in the second set, dropping serve thrice as low backhand returns, so effective at the start, now became hopeful lobs which Marach gleefully hammered home without mercy.

The Donovan-Gavilrov marathon seemed to stretch to eternity as both baseliners continued their cut-and-thrust tactics way into the afternoon, watched by curious onlookers wondering what these two were up to. The match unfolded into a test of patience and endurance in the torrid heat, the former proving to be the more consistent player in this battle of wits.

The quarterfinal line-up: A. Derepasko vs. D. September; A. Qureishi vs. T. Cakl; R. Zitko vs. O. Marach; M. Elgin vs. K. Economidis.

The results: men's singles (second round): 1-Artem Derepasko (Russia) bt Jonathan Marray (GBr) 6-4, 6-2; 7-Donovan September (RSA) bt Alex Gavilrov (Rus) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); 4- Aisam Qureshi (Pak) bt Sergei Krotiouk (Rus) 6-2, 6-4; 5-Tomas Cakl (Cze) bt Or Dekel (Isr) 6-2, 6-1; 8-Radim Zitko (Cze) bt Nikos Rovas (Gre) 6-4, 6-1; 3-Oliver Marach (Aut) bt Mustafa Ghouse (Ind) 6-4, 6-1; 6-Konstantinos Economidis (Gre) bt Anton Kokurin (Uzb) 6-4, 6-2; Michail Elgin (Rus) bt David Sherwood (GBr) 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

First round: N. Rovas bt Evgeni Smirnov (Rus) 6-4, 6-3; A. Kokurin bt Martin Rammal (Fin) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles (second round): Nitin Kirtane/Sourav Panja (Ind) bt A. Derepasko/M. Elgin (Rus) 7-6 (6- 3), 6-4; James Auckland/S. Dickson (GBr) bt Jonathan Marray/David Sherwood (GBr).

First round: N. Kirtane/S. Panja (Ind) bt Vinod Sridhar/Kedar Shah (Ind) 6-1, 6-3; K. Economidis/N. Rovas (Gre) bt Gilbert Schaller (Aut)/Ivan Vajda (Cro) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

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