PUNE In a game of contrasting sets, the tournament’s second seed, Dev Javia, registered a blowout in the first set and then went on to win the second in a tie-breaker, against Arnav Pathange in the quarter-finals of the MSLTA-ITF Junior Grade 3 U-18 tennis championship at the Deccan Gymkhana tennis courts on Thursday. The 17-year-old beat Pathange 6-0, 7-6 and will now face his doubles’ partner Rostislav Galfinger in the semifinals on Friday.
In the first set, Javia was tactically brilliant. His footwork coupled with his powerful forehand strokes caused all the problems for Pathange. Javia did not allow his opponent to comeback into the game at any point. Placing his shots well and committing extremely few unforced errors helped Javia settle down nicely into the game.
Pathange smashed numerous half-volleys into the net, denying Javia aces, but gifting him crucial points anyway.
After taking a commanding 4-0 lead, Pathange seemed quite frustrated with himself. Failing to cope with the pace and power of his opponent, Pathange decided to switch his tactic from reserved to attacking. However, with the form Javia was in in the first set, no alternate tactic would have stopped the second seed. The 17-year-old continued to dominate as a nervy Pathange found it difficult to get his shots right.
At the end of the first set, Pathange managed to get nothing out of it as he sat on the chair with his head in his hands. Thinking about an alternate tactic, the 17-year-old refused to be intimidated in the second set. More focused than he was in the first set, Pathange finally got off the mark at the start of the second set. Javia failed to carry the momentum of the previous set into the next one.
{{/usCountry}}At the end of the first set, Pathange managed to get nothing out of it as he sat on the chair with his head in his hands. Thinking about an alternate tactic, the 17-year-old refused to be intimidated in the second set. More focused than he was in the first set, Pathange finally got off the mark at the start of the second set. Javia failed to carry the momentum of the previous set into the next one.
{{/usCountry}}Javia allowed Pathange to win easy points in the initial stages of the set. After winning the first game, Pathange managed to break Javia’s serve for the first time in the game as it seemed that the tables were finally turning. However, the early advantage was short-lived and Javia eventually levelled the score. Pathange did manage to win games on his serve and ensured that the the second set went into the tie-breaker.
However, Javia showed more composure in the tight tie-breaker as compared to Pathange, who looked extremely nervous considering the situation he was in. The match finished exactly the way it started - Pathange was unable to return Javia’s hard-hit serves and that was enough to hand a straight-sets victory to Dev Javia. Javia is now gearing up to face his doubles’ partner, Rostislav Galfinger from Kazakhstan, in the semi-finals.
After the match
“It was a good match and I was off to a good start as I took the first set 6-0. I faltered in the second when I gave away a few lose points, and then my serve was broken. Thankfully, I was able to keep myself calm and win in the tie-breaker,” said Dev Javia, no 2 seed, India.