To see his gaze in the void throughout sure aspect modifications, one would suppose that Lucas Pouille, defeated by Pedro Martinez (6-3, 6-7 [4], 6-4) in the first round of the Kitzbühel Open (Austria), puzzled what he was doing on the court docket this Monday and why he did not need to smile. Because in opposition to the Spaniard (97th), the French did not deserve in the first set. But he misplaced all of it the identical.
As too typically since his return to competitors, he was not sufficiently protected by his service. Too dangerous, as a result of he produced good tennis, but it surely did not work in his favor.
More constant in the second set, he was the first to interrupt (3-2) in opposition to an opponent who was beginning to give quite a bit. But he made this break prematurely at the worst time, whereas he was serving for the set. Engaged in a tie-break, Pouille had the benefit of protecting the benefit given by a Martinez who fortunately harvested his first factors.
One set all over the place, Pouille was nonetheless in the sport. But we nonetheless noticed him too passive, too removed from his line. Too dangerous, as a result of it's by advancing in the court docket that he typically made his greatest factors. Perhaps searching for his greatest tennis as effectively, Pouille was responsible of a horrible sport, with three large unforced errors in the forehand, which supplied the break to his opponent (4-3). A particular benefit. Pouille was going to avoid wasting three match factors (4 together with the second set), however the fifth was too many.