Day 3: SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui

In Day 3 of the SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui, the match of the day went to Michael Mmoh (USA) and Vasek Pospisil (CAN).

Emotions ran high in the epic three-setter played on stadium court. Pospisil took the first set with ease, but things turned around in the second set when Mmoh came out firing and took an early break to go up 2-0. After multiple rain delays, Mmoh powered through to take the set 6-4.

“I needed that,” started Mmoh. “I didn’t have a great week last week. My confidence wasn’t at its highest point going into the match,” noting his three-set loss against Dustin Brown in the Round of 32 at the Australia Open.

“That break in the second set was huge,” Mmoh explained. “I didn’t get broken for the rest of the match.”

Mmoh and Pospisil sometimes train together at the IMG Academy in Florida and noted that the pressures for Pospisil of playing a rising star in the game.

“It’s never easy playing a young and up and coming player and there’s going to be some friction. The drama stayed throughout the match and never left,” he said.

Mmoh came out victorious, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Mmoh currently holds a world ranking of 190 which is a career high for him. Pospisil, currently ranked 135 in the world, holds a career high of 25. Mmoh will move on to face fellow American, Tommy Paul, who won in straight sets over China’s highest ranked player and reigning TCOM champion, Di Wu.

Wildcard and 2014 TCOM champion, Bradley Klahn, took out Tastuma Ito in another marathon three-setter 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

The tournament continues through Jan. 29, 2017 in Lahaina with total prize winnings of $75,000, and the winner taking home $10,800.  The event features 32 players including seeded entrants: Jared Donaldson (USA), Hyeon Chung (KOR), Yuichi Sugita (JPN), Taro Daniel (JPN), Marco Chiudinelli (SUI), Ernesto Escobido (USA), Henri Laaksonen (SUI), and Vasek Pospisil (CAN).

RESULTS – JANUARY 24, 2017

Men’s
Singles – First Round
[2] Hyeon Chung (KOR) d Dennis Novikov (USA) 63 62
[7] Henri Laaksonen (SUI) d [WC] Filip Dolezel (CZE) 62 60
Michael Mmoh (USA) d [8] Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 36 64 63
Ze Zhang (CHN) d Noah Rubin (USA) 64 62
[WC] Bradley Klahn (USA) d Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 57 63 63
Tommy Paul (USA) d Di Wu (CHN) 62 63

Men’s
Doubles – First Round
Austin Krajicek (USA) / Jackson Withrow (USA) d Zhe Li (CHN) / Jose Statham (NZL) 36 64 10-7

Mens
Qualifying Doubles – Second Round
Qualifying – [2] John Paul Fruttero (USA) / Zihao Xia (CHN) d [1] Antoine Bellier (SUI) / Kento Takeuchi (JPN) 61 62

Michael Mmoh at Day 3 of the SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA

Michael Mmoh at Day 3 of the SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA

Vasek Pospisil at Day 3 of the SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui. PC: Ryan Trujillo | USTA