Malisse: "I was going the wrong way."
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Xavier Malisse added his name to the list of comeback kings at the Kroger St. Jude when he saved three match points to defeat two-time champion Todd Martin in the quarterfinals in Memphis.
With Martin serving at 5-3, 40-0 in the final set, the American missed what seemed to be a routine backhand volley as Malisse began to make his way to the net to shake hands. That point marked the beginning of the end for Martin, who reached four consecutive finals in Memphis in the 1990s, as Malisse rattled off the next 11 points before taking the match 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in 2 hours, 3 minutes.
"It should have been his match," said Malisse. "But it's never over 'till it's over. He gave me a chance and I took it. Nine out of ten times he makes that volley, but that's the way it goes."
Wrong way
As Martin approached the net to hit the volley on his first match point, it looked like there was no way back for the Belgian.
"I knew it was going to be a drop shot, and I was going to do my best to get it," said Malisse. "But I was going the wrong way and if that ball goes over the net, it's over. But luckily for me it went my way and after that I got the momentum and I felt pretty confident."
It was another heartbreaking loss for Martin, who defeated Malisse at the Australian Open in January. "I played a very good point [on the first match point], I just missed a volley that I probably should make and before you know it, one bad decision and I'm back in the thick of it," said Martin, the 1995-96 champion.
"You never want to lose when you've had an opportunity to win. Unfortunately for me it's happened too many times before. You close out a match and you think you've licked it, but it happens to everybody."
After a double fault cost him the first set tie-break, the American found his rhythm and put Malisse under a lot of pressure throughout the second and third sets. But the 21-year-old never gave up against the man who has helped him develop his game, and with whom he shares his coach Dean Goldfine.
"Todd gives me a lot of advice, he's always really open with it," said Malisse. "He's been at the top for so long, and he has helped me a lot. It's not easy for Dean, but he will have watched the match and we'll analyze it afterwards."
Malisse, the fourth seed, now will play either second seed Andy Roddick or Armenia's Sargis Sargsian in the semifinal.
With Martin serving at 5-3, 40-0 in the final set, the American missed what seemed to be a routine backhand volley as Malisse began to make his way to the net to shake hands. That point marked the beginning of the end for Martin, who reached four consecutive finals in Memphis in the 1990s, as Malisse rattled off the next 11 points before taking the match 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in 2 hours, 3 minutes.
"It should have been his match," said Malisse. "But it's never over 'till it's over. He gave me a chance and I took it. Nine out of ten times he makes that volley, but that's the way it goes."
Wrong way
As Martin approached the net to hit the volley on his first match point, it looked like there was no way back for the Belgian.
"I knew it was going to be a drop shot, and I was going to do my best to get it," said Malisse. "But I was going the wrong way and if that ball goes over the net, it's over. But luckily for me it went my way and after that I got the momentum and I felt pretty confident."
It was another heartbreaking loss for Martin, who defeated Malisse at the Australian Open in January. "I played a very good point [on the first match point], I just missed a volley that I probably should make and before you know it, one bad decision and I'm back in the thick of it," said Martin, the 1995-96 champion.
"You never want to lose when you've had an opportunity to win. Unfortunately for me it's happened too many times before. You close out a match and you think you've licked it, but it happens to everybody."
After a double fault cost him the first set tie-break, the American found his rhythm and put Malisse under a lot of pressure throughout the second and third sets. But the 21-year-old never gave up against the man who has helped him develop his game, and with whom he shares his coach Dean Goldfine.
"Todd gives me a lot of advice, he's always really open with it," said Malisse. "He's been at the top for so long, and he has helped me a lot. It's not easy for Dean, but he will have watched the match and we'll analyze it afterwards."
Malisse, the fourth seed, now will play either second seed Andy Roddick or Armenia's Sargis Sargsian in the semifinal.
