I got my first dose of up-close, professional tennis today, and it's only four days into the new year.
Sort of. My online feed of the Chennai Open was primitive, but it made for an intimate viewing experience. The camera never budged, so I had the same perspective throughout the match—no alternate angles, no replays, no zooms. It mimicked sitting in the elevated baseline seats at many of the U.S. Open's side courts—while you have a fantastic view of the player directly in front of you, the player in the far court is a bit distant.
Still, the unwavering lens revealed plenty about both men. They are quite similar, for one—spinny forehands, good court coverage, unrealized potential. Dancevic uses a one-handed backhand, which is his weaker side. His normal shot doesn't have much power, and his slice doesn't bite like it should. But he places it well and can hit a backhand down the line without much difficulty. That shot confounded Haase in the first set and continued to trouble him later in the match.
But Haase proved to be the more reliable man for the duration. He ended up winning this tight affair, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4. The decisive factor was serving. Haase was (again) reliable, if unspectacular, when he held the balls. Dancevic struck more aces, but was broken twice in the final set. He particularly struggled on his second serves.
There was no pan to the crowd at the end—and just as well; there were practically no patrons to speak of—as the camera remained fixed on Haase and Dancevic, approaching the net for a hand shake. As they exited stage right, the court turned bare, waiting for the next participants to arrive.
—Ed McGrogan