By the time a player has earned a third match point, the pulse is likely rising quickly, each one previously surrendered an exponential tension-raiser. In the quarterfinals of the National Bank Open, Camila Giorgi had lost the first on her serve at 5-4, 40-30. The second came and went two games later, this one at 6-5, 40-30. Giorgi’s opponent was Coco Gauff, the 17-year-American’s exceptional tenacity a major attribute in a rapid ascent to her current ranking of 24 in the world, 47 spots ahead of Giorgi.
On this sticky night in Montreal, the two entered a tiebreaker. Serving at 2-1, Gauff double-faulted. But then, there followed a slew of Gauff errors – misfired backhand, netted forehand, shanked forehand return, wide backhand. Leading 6-2, Giorgi now had far more margin than in those prior games. The end came quickly. Gauff charged forward, instantly trapped by a fine Giorgi pass that extracted a netted half-volley. Said Giorgi, “It was a great level I think.”
This match was one of the most well-composed efforts of her career. Prior to last month’s Olympics, Giorgi consulted with Craig O’Shannessy, the veteran strategist who of late has been helping several Italian players. If you’ve watched Giorgi over the years, you’d wonder if she’d care to listen to a man known for organizing the court into sections and match analysis into patterns. While O’Shannessy’s approach is as orderly as a chef constructing a bento box, Giorgi’s matches have long been more like potlucks, a melange of splattered drives, excessive power and errors galore.
But she and O’Shannessy have found a winning recipe. Why overhit to the corners when you can strike the ball as powerfully as Giorgi? Better to strike big shots to safe spots, often deep and much closer to the middle of the court. The strategy worked well in Tokyo. Giorgi reached the quarterfinals, along the way taking out Australian Open finalist Jennifer Brady and Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova.
