By Daniel Miller
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
dmiller@media.ucla.edu
Nicolas Kiefer and Jan-Michael Gambill have some interesting
similarities. Both are 25 years old. Both entered the Mercedes-Benz
Cup unseeded. Both rely on a big serves and consistent ground
strokes.
All of these similarities made for an evenly matched
quarterfinal, yet one competitor ultimately pulled away, as Gambill
won 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) July 26 at Stadium Court of the Los Angeles
Tennis Center.
For Gambill, the victory ensured that he will play in his fourth
semifinal of the season, and he improved to 10-4 overall in Los
Angeles. This is the second time in three years that Gambill will
play in the semifinals of the Mercedes-Benz Cup (he reached the
finals in 2000).
“Kiefer played well,” Gambill said. “It feels
great to be in the semifinals of my first hardcourt event of the
season.”
Including a tiebreaker in the first round of the tournament
against Michael Chang, Gambill has won all three tiebreakers he has
competed in at the Mercedes-Benz Cup, with the 7-5 tiebreaker
against Kiefer making for some exciting tennis.
“When you are winning tough tiebreakers, you are going to
win the match,” Gambill said.
Gambill served better than Kiefer, as he made eight aces and
only committed one double fault, while Kiefer had seven aces and
six double faults. However, both players had difficulty landing
their first serves throughout the match.
“I felt like I was doing better on his serve than he was
on mine,” Gambill said.
With the score tied 4-4 in the second set, Kiefer became enraged
when a questionable line call gave Gambill a 40-15 advantage.
Kiefer sent a ball flying out of the stadium after Gambill won the
next point and was promptly warned by the umpire.
Gambill won the game and went up 5-4, but Kiefer broke
Gambill’s serve in the next game, and then took another game,
giving him a 6-5 advantage. Gambill battled back to tie the score
6-6, forcing the tiebreaker.