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Delev 1-0* Mustard
Nervous start from Delev as he sends his first serve of the match well long, and his second is pedestrian and subsequently dealt with by Mustard down the line. He finds his rhythm very quickly though with a couple of first serves Mustard can only get a bit of a racquet on. Mustard cracks first in a long rally to allow Delev to go to 40-15, and he gets on the board straight away with a typically powerful ace down the tee.
* denotes next to serve
Delev *1-1 Mustard
Really quality serving from Mustard here. Delev gets a look in on a tame first serve from Mustard and moves to 0-15, but is answered by some quality serving from the 29th seed from then on. He's always favoured the serve and volley style, but he's onto it very quickly here with three approaches to the net to put away easy volleys. Aggressive start to take it to fifteen.
Delev 1-2* Mustard
And Mustard breaks! Delev's starts well to put away a forehand winner to move to 30-0, but struggles to get that dangerous first serve in and Mustard gets to deuce. Again the serve goes long, and Mustard takes the initiative on the second serve to crack it deep into the forehand court. Delev makes the ground, but the ball goes straight into the net. Break point, but it is saved by Delev who takes a risk looking for the line and gets it. Gutsy. Doesn't matter, though, as Mustard eats up a short backhand and puts away a volley to take the early lead!
Delev *1-3 Mustard
Mustard gets a bit of the jitters on serve, but his second serve simply has more bite in it than Delev's. Delev gives himself a look as he cracks a clean winner off the Mustard second service to go to 40-30, but Mustard answers by dominating a crosscourt rally at the baseline and forcing Delev to shoot for a winner. He doesn't, and Mustard consolodates at 3-1.
From Felix, West Robbham, via text: "Delev's second serve looks like my grand mother's at the moment. Really looking nervous with it."
Delev 2-3* Mustard
Delev answers that particular critic with a fantastic effort to come back from 15-30. Mustard moved in sight of the double break by pulling ahead with a forehand that just caught the tape and left Delev in no man's land, but the powerful Easterner answers with three aces in a row to stay in the set. Quality serving that gets his percentages just above fifty. Still not enough, but he's starting to look more comfortable.
Delev *2-4 Mustard
Delev starting to grow in confidence here, but he can't get the break of service. Mustard is trying to tempt him into rallies, and he's not having any part of it. Unfortunately his radar is slightly off as he misses the chance to go 30-30 as he sends an overhead smash straight into the net. That gets a bit of a roar of frustration out of him, and his temper isn't held at all by Mustard's slice that sees him send a forehand nearly into the crowd.
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