Despite recovering from a slow start, Ireland's Scott Barron eventually succumbed to Gilles Elseneer in their ITF Futures Series quarter-final meeting at Mount Pleasant yesterday, where the Belgian overcame a mid-match slump in form to win in three sets, 60, 5-7, 6-3.
Having produced a barnstorming first set that yielded six games without reply in 20 minutes, Elseneer's play suddenly became sluggish, and Barron secured a crucial break in the 11th game of the second set before serving out to 15.
Barron was then offered a triple-break chance for 3-2 in the final set, but he was unable to capitalise. Elenseer, on the other hand, took his opportunity, breaking Barron's serve to go 5-3 ahead before serving out for the match.
"I became more defensive-minded in the second set and let him back into it," said Elseneer afterwards.
There was better luck for Ireland's other participant, Owen Casey, a straight-set winner (6-3, 7-6) over number eight seed Helge Koll of Norway.
Casey dominated the match, continuously forcing Koll to move from the baseline in a tactical battle that lasted a little over an hour and a half.
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