Eliminator – Day 3
Virgona takes it all with a 6/4 victory. The final score was:
6/4 6/2 6/4 6/5 6/4 5/6 6/3 3/6 6/4
For complete match information – go to IRTPA Coverage
Next stop – World Championship!
Eliminator – Day 2
The IRTPA reports "After the 2nd days play the overall set score is now 6/2 in Virgona’s favour. The set scores are 6/4 6/2 6/4 6/5 Tuesday 6/4 5/6 6/3 3/6 Thursday Virgona requires one more set."
Day 2 Results:
Steve Virgona wins 2 of the fours sets played on Thursday to lead the series 6/2. The scores from today were: 6/4, 5/6, 6/3, 3/6 (SV/BS). Virgona needs one more set to win the eliminator.
The final day of play will be on Saturday beginning at 9AM est
Comments from the IRTPA site:
The Second Day
Today, Thursday the 2nd day of the Final Eliminator saw Steve Virgona starting as he had left off and winning the 5th set 6/4. The next set was a real tussle between the two players and for the first time in both sessions Steve Virgona’s first serve failed to work as well and Bryn also lifted his game and started hitting the ball with far more accuracy and mixing his shots up much more; the final game was close but for Bryn Sayer’s fans and most importantly for himself he secured it 6/5. Steve regrouped really quickly and the next set was over really quickly to Steve with a score of 6/3 with Bryn unable, or not allowed to, dominate at all and all seemed to be heading for a close out on the second day. The fourth set though saw, perhaps a nervous Virgona wanting to finish the match with just that one more set required, being pushed into error by Sayers, whose standard also rose ten-fold, and who just would not give up on any point and he was rewarded with the set 6/3.
To win 5 sets on Saturday for Sayers and to win one set for Virgona, well who would you put your money on? For the pundits out there, I have just been reminded that Frank Filippelli led by the same margin in an eliminator and lost……
Set scores for Thursday 6/4, 5/6, 6/3, 3/6 (Virgona’s scores first)
WOW!
Steve Virgona today, Tuesday when just four sets are played, had the most perfect day at the office. He won all 4 sets. The set scores were 6/4,6/2,6/4,6/5
For Bryn Sayers it could be called a train smash.
From the start Steve just attacked, he was always coming forward, always aggressive, hitting the ball superbly and just couldn’t really put a foot wrong.
Bryn, looked overawed by the whole occasion, with the pressures of expectation being carried by him being just too much. Bryn’s defence against Steve was outstanding, but to win sets from this position is nigh impossible, as it most certainly proved today.
Steve most certainly does not have to change anything for the next 4 sets on Thursday, and I am sure he has a plan B, if Bryn alters his game on Thursday. Steve only has to win 3 of these sets to go through to challenge Rob for the 2nd consecutive World Challenge in April. For Bryn, if he doesn’t change his game for Thursday, it will all be over. He has to win 2 sets to carry the match to the third and final day on Saturday. Can Bryn do it? Yes he could, but he has to go out there unfettered by whatever is holding him back, play a more aggressive game and to cut out the error count, and take the match to Steve.
