Daniell into doubles final
New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell is back in the doubles final of the ASB Classic – 10 years after he last appeared in it.
Daniell and his Austrian partner Philipp Oswald defeated Austin Krajicek from America and Croatia’s Franko Skugor 6-2 7-6 yesterday.
It is the first time Daniell has made it into the final in Auckland since he won this title with Horia Tecau as a 20-year-old in 2010.
In those days, Daniell still hoped to make it as a singles player. But priorities have changed over the years and he’s established himself as one of the best doubles players in the world.
This is the first final he’s made since teaming up with the 33-yearold Austrian and they compliment each other well on a doubles court.
Oswald’s big serve and forehand goes well with Daniell’s great net play and all round game.
In this semifinal Daniell and Oswald got a break early in the first set, which they were able to hold onto and ended up taking the set fairly comfortably when Krajicek put a volley into the net on set point.
The second set was tighter, without any breaks of serve. So it went to a tiebreak and early in it Daniell hit a stunning return from Krajicek in the second point, then in the next poached a winning volley to put him and Oswald up 3-0.
They went up 6-3 but couldn’t finish off the match with their first two match points, but on the third Daniell put down a big serve and Oswald volleyed away the return.
In the final they play Luke Bambridge from Britain and Ben McLachlan, who hails from Queenstown, but plays for Japan.
In the first semifinal Bambridge and McLaughlin defeated the Belgian duo of Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-6 7-6.
‘‘It was all our way for the first set,’’ Daniell said afterwards, reflecting on the match.
‘‘We played unbelievably for the first, we served and returned really well and I didn’t feel we gave them much of a look in.
‘‘In the second set, at the set change over we said ‘OK, let’s get ourselves ready for a fight,’ because they’re quality doubles players and we knew they were going to come back at us and they did.’’
Daniell’s victory after being given a wildcard to play doubles with Tecau in 2010, was the breakthrough victory for him as a player and put him on the tennis map.
‘‘It’s amazing that it was 10 years ago, it doesn’t feel like it was 10 years, it feels like it flashed past,’’ Daniell said of that victory he had with Tecau over Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares.
‘‘But obviously I’ve got pretty special memories on that court and I’m one and zero in finals here, so I’ve got a good record going into it!
‘‘We’re playing quality opponents. Ben is the defending champ, so he obviously feels good out here as well.
‘‘But Oz and I are playing great tennis, we’re creating opportunities and I think we’ve got to be ready for a big fight.’’
In that final in 2010, Tecau was the experienced player, while Daniell brought enthusiasm and it was a combination that worked.
‘‘It was a bit of a blur to be honest, it was just so unexpected,’’ Daniell remembered.
‘‘I didn’t really know what I was doing, I was going with the flow and it happened to work out.
‘‘Now everything is a lot more considered, I feel like we really belong in the final, that we really belong in a final anywhere we play, so I feel like I’m going to be a lot more confident walking on the finals court.