ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament,           The Netherlands

[CR22] Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs. [CR59] Vasek Pospisil (CAN)

You can never tell if Kohlschreiber is behind or ahead in a match, in fact, you never get that sense of passionate desire you see in other players.  Does the lack of demonstrable emotion mean that he desires the victory less than his opponent? Perhaps not; however, when the occasion demanded, he lacked the motivation to raise his game to another level. The hardest service game for many players is the one to stay in a set; it tests the mettle of a player and requires their utmost focus.  Kohlschreiber lost his concentration in the tenth game and before he could regroup, he had lost the set.

Disappointed at losing the first set so abruptly, Kohlschreiber remained distracted.  He quickly lost his first service game in the second set and his desire to fight for the match disappeared. It was always going to be a difficult prospect since Pospisil was playing with confidence, striking the ball with authority and executing his shots well.  Yet, Kohlschreiber had a few chances to get back in the set, but his lack of belief and focus were his undoing.  Pospisil gets the win 6-4, 6-2 and Kohlschreiber will go home to ponder his level of commitment.