[12] Salma Hany (Egy) 3-2 [20] Melissa Alves (Fra) 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6 (83m)
A game of two halves.
First half: Melissa in control, should have taken the first game if it hadn’t been for nerves at crucial times – up 7/3, then 3 errors at 7/7, despatching the shots, controlling the pace and the style of play.
Then, in the beginning of the 4th, the contact between Melissa’s leg and Salma’s racquet or elbow, not sure. Nothing bad at first sight, except that it happened on the exact spot she had a hematoma from another shock previously. She was relaxed with confidence, 2/0 3/1, Salma pretty tired, finding some sublime counterattacks but on the backfoot all the time.
3 minutes given – for self inflicted, which it wasn’t, as it was contributed – allow Salma to have a nice breather, and Melissa, in sharp pain, loses her focus.
Second half
Salma is back on control, both mentally and physically. She speeds up the pace, hits harder. Now it’s Melissa always on the backfoot, catching up. She takes the fourth, and is mentally stronger in the 5th. Melissa is penalised with three strokes in the middle of the decider, up 4/3 she finds herself down 4/6, with the same offence backhand drive not cleared.
And if the French girl still fights, it’s all about Salma’s determination, diving again and again, giving her 200%, with the belief and the experience that comes with being a top player for a few years. Stunning match from both but chapeau Salma.
Melissa : I have to take the first game. I’m 7/2 up, I can’t let her come back like that.
The turning point of the match was the dead leg on top of another dead leg I picked up two weeks ago, and she hit me right on the same spot. Just a contact — we had a lot of contact, we were both very aggressive, in the positive sense of the word. She just hit me right at the junction. And then I had a huge pain, affecting the stability of my lunges, my power, a bit of everything.
And instead of adding that to the game plan and making something of it, I felt a bit sorry for myself, even though I was in a lot of pain. I’m not going to lie.
The three strokes in the fifth, that’s clearly what happens when you drift out of the match and keep making the same mistake again and again. I lost four points like that at that moment. Four free points, when I wasn’t even behind on the scoreboard…
Salma : We had everything in that match: power cuts, the injury, the dives, the whole lot! And she handled it better than I did.
“I’m very tired, I knew it was going to be a very tough battle. It’s a huge chance for both of us for a spot in the quarter-finals.
“I was prepared for it to be a street fight and I knew I was going to have to give it my all to win that match. She played absolutely amazingly and pushed me to the max, so I’m glad it went my way at the end.
“I was very prepared for all kinds of scenarios. I knew that when I was 2-1 down, I felt like I wasn’t playing my best because she was playing so well. All credit to her, but I wasn’t going to let it go that easily. I knew I still had something in the tank and I could push and just grind until the end. I didn’t think about being 2-1 down, I just thought of fighting for every rally and making it hard for her.
“There were a lot of decisions and a lot of stoppages, but we’re fighting for a spot in the quarter-finals. I’m glad I managed to stay focused and just get the win at the end.
“I didn’t really look at the whole game. I was very focused about my length and just placing the ball in the right spot that I want. I was trying to do the right thing every single rally. I completely forgot about the score and kept reminding myself to fight for every single rally. I’m glad I did and I’m glad it went my way at the end.
“I’m just glad I’m done with this part of the tournament. I feel like I’m going to go to another new tournament.”
