Wheelchair Tennis | F.CATTANEO v G.REID | Men's Singles Third Round | Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

world number three just kick this one off probably be a few nerves in the system a lot of expectation gordon reed's shoulders but as i say this year he has risen to the challenge whenever he's played a big event already showing that that was a lovely little half volley very talented doubles player to feel around the net uh that's quality and it's a fine start for the third seed nothing to love didn't have any nerves in his system that will have helped him settle down hopefully these two will know each other's game will also help there's an excellent movement up the court though here from reid as they say he is one of those players who when he sees an opportunity to get forward tries to what's the only difference in wheelchair tennis to able-bodied tennis to allow two bounces but the top players to try and take the ball as early as possible and either pluck it out the air as we did there and take it on the first bounce you can take it of course the more time you take away from your opponent that's a lovely little bunt up the light from kitania it's quick to move the reason that the players want to try and take it on one bounce of course you take the time away from your opponent but also if you can take it early and take it on the rise just like enable body tennis you can get your momentum into the ball it gives you that little bit more power position to step up the court taking the ball on the second bounce be a fair way back on a slower court like this one it means it's pretty tough to hit through your opponent he's also traveling much slower so to generate all your own pace on the ball the only double fault then for catania and maybe just fearing the return of reid he probably has to put a little bit extra on that second serve against one of the best players in the world okay disappointing start then for the frenchman it's a gift of a game three double faults in a row and it is reed who breaks first in this encounter two lovely in the third round his international debut back in 2008 guess who was the player that he played against his first ever match great britain it was against frederick he's only able to pick up three games on that occasion the united states things have changed for him since then so much in the eight or so years just a 16 year old on that occasion it's a fearsome forehand at the moment britannia is struggling to ask too many questions of reed know which way to go here back in behind his opponent no time to change direction for the frenchman it's a common tactic that to get back behind whenever your opponent is moving i did well they opened up the court really well and snatching at the smash a little bit of complacency there the 24 year old that's superbly done blink and you miss it what a start for gordon reed consolidates the break and opens up a three love lead in this opening set it's taken him just seven minutes to do so so oh dream start then for the third seed a response vote from the frenchman interesting to see how the points go really get to have a look at too many of them with the three double faults in his first service game had his legs amputated below the knee after being involved in a motorcycle accident 2002 37 years of age career in the sport a lot of players can continue their career a little longer than you would be able to at the highest level enabled body tennis he's struggling with the double faults at the moment i think he's actually slightly wrong it's his fourth double fault even when he's getting the serve in play reed is right on top of it two more break points for the british player a fabulous low volley again getting forward when he catch taking advantage of the situation it was a great deep forehand but that was a tricky shot to play but boy didn't he execute it well continue doing the best thing possible getting it as low down as possible to read tough to control but lovely racket head control from the uh the british player breaks again and leads for love oh it's exhibition stuff right now from gordon reed just making it look so easy in the middle of the court had to try and create his own angle did it with a plot cutting the ball and putting a bit of funky side spin on it to make sure it bounced away from the frenchman so he's able to get up the court and he's gonna have to try and do this maybe a bit of caution to the wind a bit more aggressive he took that far nice and early he's controlled it up the line somehow got to find a way of stopping reed from dictating the plate trying to play aggressive tennis there just over cooking the forehand doesn't hit the ball with too much top spin so definitely lead to a few errors like reed who tends to hit with a fair amount of topspin particularly off the forehand side angle on it easing away from his opponent in this opening set he's now just a game away from taking it quality performance so far from the 24 year old really nice consider as a second serve right into the corner lead by five games to love first set uh ah so something to stay in the first set to try and avoid the dreaded bagel five oh yes that is a special shot from reed he was well back in the court didn't really do anything wrong there just too good from the brick it's just such beautiful tennis so good to watch the ease in which he plays which makes him so popular on the tour lovely hand skills audacious he's purring right now no doubt about that looks like he's enjoying himself and they're on center court i'll tell you how tough that shot is yet makes it look just incredibly easy and it's three set points for gordon reed not just the two okay saved can you miss it what a set of tennis from gordon reed secures the bagel that's the delight of his fans there's reed who takes the opening set by six games to love in just 18 minutes good for the british player at the moment world number three as i say his highest ever ranking was second in the world which he did achieve this year and you can see why he's ranked so highly until the tennis in the first set he gave very few points with cheat points to catania just the four unforced errors he was dominant when he came for the majority of those nine winners coming at the front of the court catania has to somehow find a way to stop the dominance of this british opponent the frenchman needs to be a little more aggressive it's tough though number three no doubt about that plenty of fans here to watch this one and read has been entertaining from start to finish in that opening set only took 18 minutes what will happen in the second set it'll be the british player to get us underway wow these two incidentally in the top half of the draw at the very top of the draw there's a tough section of the draw there that many wanted to avoid in the draw as a possible quarter-final opponent for the winner of this one reed fires his first ace of the match he's looking to become the first south american medal in the paralympic games at the moment reed is just brushing catanio aside super one-two punch secures the first game of the second set it's a seventh game in a row for the world number three pushing over the back of that backhand into the open space no chance for catania looks like he's in a rush at the moment doesn't it i think the chat was redo his army of fans you cut them out as the set went on three in his first game only those three double faults in that opening game put them on the back foot early on he's lost their last nine meetings so too much belief here's an opening game like that it's not going to help your mentality just slapping the racket there catania the fact that he tried to do something different they're throwing a drop shot early on it was a pretty nice shot wasn't it trick shot with the back end that's a devilish slice from gordon reed didn't pick it going back in behind his opponent that's two more break points for reed at the start of this second set break point that's better this time it's catania who wrong fits reed i was expecting the lying ball here the british player but good depth on the slice from katana the chance for catanio to get on the scoreboard uh a little bit of side spin on the ball just to ensure that if even if kittania had picked that one he was always going to be stretching forward a great point in third break point of the game for the british player oh well i'm not quite sure what happened there from really maybe a little bit complacent just seem to stop moving i like the tactic of the powerful one up the middle take the angles away from your opponent is it puzzled by what happened with that volley oh yes i almost know exactly what's going to happen whenever he plays a shot on the half volley he's not missed one yet in the zone fourth break point and this time reed is able to take it longest game of the match unlike the other seven it goes the way of the third seed eight straight game then for gordon reed leads by two games to love oh that's a superb taking it on the rise generating a fair amount of power with it look how high he took it as well almost above head height but just inside the baseline chance for catania fine tennis continuing to dictate all the play just gotta do a little more than this it's easier said than done in return for catanio because you could see that on that replay he was really stretching for it consolidates the break with a love service hold does gordon read he's looking very very good ninth straight game set to love and buy three games today oh every area of reid's game's been on the money so far again you can see what fettanio is trying to do he's trying to get up the court and pressurize his opponent once again reed with the defensive counter-punching backhand still able to get himself out of trouble vicious return antonio knows he has to try and get it away away from that forehand on the return moving into the ball so much power the difficulty for catanio he doesn't know where to move he doesn't know where the return is going they're stuck in one place there so important for the players after they hit the serve to try and get on the move trying to get some momentum i feel that that double fault has come about by the excellent returning from reid extra pressure on the second serve well that is magnificent moving backwards able to hit inside out and find a quite wondrous angle breaks again it's ten games in a row i need to fall off on this second set getting himself inside the baseline taking all the time away from his opponent um then serve setting up the point of the hit on the next ball just putting it into the open space this one is going away rather quickly isn't italian routine forehand plays long oh good return right onto the baseline but take advantage of it wonderfully played again it's just luscious to watch making everything looks so easy opens up the court with the wide serve and just moves up the cord himself and just places the volley into the open space how easy does that look it's not though is it number three makes it look easy he's now a game away from completing the double bagel after just 36 minutes lead six love five love time the big question here is whether or not frederick catanio can avoid the double bagel against this man there's too many volleys today i've got a drive fully on that occasion that's a tough shot to execute when you're moving quickly forward he hasn't had too many game points in truth in this one the score and i possibly flattering one player but really that's how quickly the match has been it's almost mean isn't it from reed at the moment continuing to punish his opponent too much to tear for those french fans gorgeous only his hand skills and touch around the court is the best in the business conditions but looking to make quick work of this third round match oh again it's quite funny isn't it i mean the points where he's had a little bit of time to think about what to do with the volley on a couple of occasions he's not played it too well and got that one horribly wrong maybe a bit of complacency so close to the finish line gets himself on the board as frederick catania much to his delight you have to say good effort in terms of his character to keep fighting because readers played some sublime tennis throughout this one tania with a lovely backhand up the line secures his first game of the match and avoids the double bag still look this is gordon reed then serving for a place in the quarterfinals 15 it's another lovely one-two punch it's been an effective move for reed today slice serve out wide opening the court up and then taking the ball early super return refusing to go away catania still fighting second double fault for reed whether he's taking his foot off the gas a little i understand it with such a healthy lead but to get the job done here to stay out in this heat longer than he has to glorious once more around the side of the ball off that backhand wing generating a superb angle giving himself a match point we're trying the trick shot cutaneo's still alive though just feel he was maybe a little cautious with the volley there reed would have been some way to finish had he connected with this one in the last five or ten minutes or so of his opponent good job of getting britannia on the stretch and then going back in behind his opponent for the big winner just missed it so another break point for catania ah he's pulled that back and wide so catanio still alive saves the match point and still work to be done for gordon reed much to the delight of the majority of this crowd here on center court some character and some fight here's frederick cutaneo oh thank you time second time serving to stay in the match two five oh let's go nearly made it a decent return from reed gives him three more match points well a superb exhibition of wheelchair tennis from the world number three as gordon reed eases into the quarterfinals comfortably gets the better of frederick catania dropping just for two games six love six two and the third seed is into the last eight thanks to the light of his army of fans it was an accomplished performance his usual variety and quality at the front of the court it is gordon reed who is the match winner in the third round against frederick catania it's a very quick match it could have been even quicker catania at least knows that he was able to avoid the double bagel fought hard and continued to fight all the way but really outclassed by a better opponent on the day again not a bad outcome though for him in the singles he still got left in the doubles so still hope 2012 paralympic games in the