[1] Rory Stewart (SCO) 3-0 [15] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (31m)
Rory : I don’t know if he was carrying that ankle injury for a while, it’s always tough, you never never know how they are going to come out after an injury break – in the 3rd game. I think he was struggling a bit with it, but he is so fast, so he was probably at a normal player’s speed by then.
In the first game, I don’t think either of us got control of it, but I felt like, when I was finding my corners, he was really doing all the running, I was able to put a bit of hold, I felt I controlled that way.
Even in the second, I was down 8/3, but the rallies I was losing I felt they were good rallies, that he was doing circles around me. So I had to tell myself I was doing the right things, and even if I’d had to lose it. Throughout all that, I felt in control, I was maybe hitting the tin, or he was hitting a lot of winners, and I know he can run 5 or 6 winners, but at the same time, he can hit tins, and that’s what happened in the second. 9/9, 10/9, he went for something off the serve, 11/9.
I don’t speak any French but I sat here after going 2/0 up and I saw him shouting and swearing in French and I thought ahhh, I don’t think he is that happy.
Tomorrow, I’m playing Ibrahim Elkabani, nice guy. I was hoping for a nice battle with Viktor, but 22m, that didn’t happen.
