CricSim Tennis Tournament: Monte Carlo

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Masters and Morgan act out centre court classic

Victoria's Shane Masters has set up an all-Victorian second round clash following a marathon five-set upset of the Celtic Provinces' Siege Morgan.

The 30-year old Australian showed glimpses of real weakness late in the match as he continually let his Irish opponent back into the match with errors at big moments.

Nevertheless, the veteran matched his 24-year old opponent stroke-for-stroke, and with the scores level at a set each and 5-5, the Victorian pounced to earn the first service break of the set as he passed Morgan with a clinical backhand winner. Morgan could not repeat the favour despite a 0-30 lead, and the Aussie took a commanding two-sets-to-one lead.

It looked like curtains for Morgan as Masters quickly advanced to a 4-1 lead, but he proceeded to give away five games on the trot - including blowing a break point chance with an overhead smash that he inexplicably sent long.

While Masters took the fourth set with a stirring comeback, he was almost immediately put on the back foot as he was broken in his second service game of the fifth set. The Victorian raced to a 5-1 lead, but again faltered on serve as he handed his opponent two big service breaks to roar back into contention at 5-5.

But his wobbles deserted him at just the right moment, as he earned the most important break of serve to halt Morgan's momentum. That gave him a chance to serve for the match, and at 40-0 he refused to give Masters a way back in, as he drew an error from the Irishman with a well-placed slice to secure a memorable 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 win.

His opponent in the second round will be fellow Victorian Matt James, who proved too good in the tiebreakers in his 7-6(6), 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(4) win over New Zealand's Samuel Yates.

Bits and Bobs:

• England's J.H. Ridd's longevity proved too good for Kiwi Joshua Ritchie, as he produced some fine fifth-set tennis against his tiring opponent. While Ritchie's late break of serve allowed him to avoid a tiebreaker and win the fourth set, he was reduced to a spectator in the fifth as Ridd charged to victory by taking the set in just 26 minutes and the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-0.

• The Celtic Provinces' "Ginger" Furball showed great resilience to be another player through to the round of 16 in five sets, with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over England's Jake Howe. The Scot, apparently pursuing a Garry Hocking-like deal with Whiskas, was the more consistent player over the course of the five sets, despite an error-ridden fourth set in which he failed to convert six break points against the Howe serve.

• Aby Dforum's Cricsim tennis debut went worse than planned, as he fell victim to the rampaging James McDougall. The 22-year old Scot managed to tame an unfamiliar surface en route to victory in less than ninety minutes, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.

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Floodlights getting a good workout with all these 5 setters.