My original onsite notice from www.sports-india.com:
The match started bad with Xavier facing double break point in second game and got broken. Fortunately, our guys put the re-break on their opponents. Mahesh faced a break point again, but he saved it and thus the score was tied after four games. Mahesh and Xavier were now even able to get the lead, as Youzhny faced break point at second serve, but the Russian was able to stand the pressure. Our guys now looked a bit better, though they never looked very good in that game. They acted like a reasonable doubles team, but committed too many unforced errors. I was very unpleased with Malisse's volley, which were quite steady, but very often too high and lead to counter attack chances. Nevertheless, nothing special happened until the tenth game, when Malisse needed to win his serve to tie the games to 5-5. He started struggling and trailed 0:30, but our guys tied the points to 30:30. Another unforced volley error by Malisse gave their opponents the chance to but the Indian-Belgium local train
(no express, definitely) under pressure and got the break point, which was converted to win the first set by 6-4.
While I would falsify the truth just a little bit if I told you that there were two even-strengthed teams on court in first set, I would have to do that a lot in the second one. Our guys were even one break in front, after they managed to win at Friedl's serve by a great Malisse return shot, but they struggled at nearly every own serve. Mahesh did not look confident with his first serve and Malisse, who served better at the beginning of first set, got into trouble in the eigth game as well. Malisse faced a break point at Ad Returner twice, the second one was converted to tie the score to 4-4. Until then, Friedl and Youzhny already had nine(!) break points in that set. In the ninth game, Youzhny was 15:30 behind at own serve, but survived, before Mahesh failed to convert one of his three game points at own serve. Therefore, the first break point in that game, which was a match point as well, was converted by Friedl and Youzhny, who were just the better team that day (though I have to add that our
guys looked to have the higher potential in doubles tennis, but also in comitting errors).
