The status of tournament winner Tallon Greek track continues to grow

To kill the time between the rain interruptions in the final of the women’s singles, on Sunday afternoon Tallon Greek track, together with his coach Kristof Vliegen and his fitness trainer Bas van Bentum, took a look at the lake of the Autotron. The Dutch tennis player had jokingly promised at the start of the tournament that he would take a dip in it if he won. And with only a final against the Australian Jordan Thompson in prospect, that had suddenly come close.

And not only the ‘team Greek track’ thought that beforehand. “All for the scale,” was the headline on the cover of the Libéma Open’s daily news bulletin. With an interview inside under the title: ‘Tallon Greek track, face to face with a dream’. Speaker Edward van Cuilenborg announced the Greek track as a tennis player who was one step away from winning a home title. Like a tennis player who was able to become one of the top thirty players in the world for the first time. To this end, the Greek track still had to beat Thompson, whose best performance was a lost final in Den Bosch. He went down in 2019 against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

It was logical that the Dutch number 38 in the world ranking and his environment were bursting with self-confidence beforehand. Greek track had a sensational week in which he reached an ATP final in the Netherlands for the first time via Mikael Ymer, Alexei Popyrin, Alex De Minaur and Emil Ruusuvuori. This already meant a highlight in his career for the ‘public player’ Greek track. The final battle seemed just a formality. “After the press conference, we are in the water,” the bulletin read.

Too little initiative

It turned out differently than the Greek track, Vliegen, the speaker and the audience had envisioned. In the packed stadium he was allowed to start serving. Greek track immediately handed in his service and faced a backlog against the number 103 in the world. The Australian was surprised by his opponent’s weak start and believed in a stunt. Greek track recovered by breaking back afterwards. That was the start of a mediocre final in which the Greek track was searching for a long time.

He played his least tennis in the final. The automatisms that previously kept him going against higher ranked opponents had largely disappeared. Above all, the Greek track took too little initiative against Thompson. The Australian brought the ball back as much as possible and took advantage of the Dutchman’s mistakes. Greek track occasionally looked desperately at the box in which Vliegen and Van Bentum were sitting. They didn’t even know.

The first set took place according to a scenario that the Greek track had hardly taken into account. Although he knew from experience that Thompson could beat him. He had already proven that in December last year during the Davis Cup Finals. Greek track lost in three sets at the time. In the run-up to the final, he called that defeat “painful and incredibly unnecessary”.

During the final on the grass of Den Bosch, that match will sometimes have haunted the mind of the Greeks. A defeat would be even more painful for a home crowd this time. And just as unnecessary given the difference in quality between the two finalists. But by now Greek track also knows that the best tennis player does not always win. Although that was finally the case on Sunday.

Fighter mentality

Greek track got up and showed his fighting spirit in the second set. Just in time. In combination with some more offensive play, he straightened his back. Greek track balanced on the verge of defeat a few times at the end of the set, but managed to level the score in the tiebreak. Grecopur clenched his fists in relief. And finally the spectators also supported the home favorite.

In the third and decisive set, the match still went according to plan for the Greek track. Supported by the crowd, he played his best tennis and managed to outclass Thompson. Vliegen and Van Bentum watched with a broad grin on their faces as the Greek track finally won the most important match of his career. The last set went to the Greeks 6-3.

The way in which the Greek track ‘conquered’ Den Bosch last week was reminiscent of Tim van Rijthoven’s stunning tournament victory a year ago. But the injury-prone and mentally not too strong Van Rijthoven is no more than a one-hit wonder for the time being. The Greek track already has a completely different status and can call itself number 29 in the world for the first time on Monday. With that he passes his coach Vliegen, who was once number 30. With his second tournament victory, the Greek track is in a row with the Dutchmen Robin Haase and Martin Verkerk. And Greek track is now the most successful tennis player of the current generation, of which Botic van de Zandschulp was the figurehead for a long time. All reasons enough for Greek track (“I couldn’t be happier”) to take a dip in the Autotron lake. He already knew the way to it.