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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, March 14, 2017

 
Donald Young

Donald Young converted his seventh match point subduing 14th-seeded Lucas Pouille, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, to reach the BNP Paribas Open fourth round for the first time.

Photo credit: @BNPParibasOpen

Tugging on the brim of his white baseball cap, Donald Young surveyed the service box with consideration and concern.

Six match points and a 5-love lead had slipped away on a sweltering day, but Young wasn’t about to let the seventh slide.

Watch: BNP Paribas Open Live Blog

Unleashing a crackling topspin forehand into the corner, Young followed it forward completing a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 upset of 14th-seeded Lucas Pouille to advance to the BNP Paribas Open fourth round for the first time.

Young tamed both his nerve and the US Open quarterfinalist scoring his best win by ranking since he defeated then world No. 12 Kevin Anderson at the 2015 Basel tournament.

“My hand was shaking quite a bit toward the end but, I was happy to pull through—that’s the benefit of two breaks,” Young told Tennis Channel’s Jon Wertheim afterward. “It’s kind of like another one and another one, but you want to just keep putting yourself in that position… Sooner or later one’s gonna fall and one did.”

It was a tricky close as Young built a 5-0 lead in the decider only to see Pouille answer with a three-game run of his own until the 60th-ranked American shut the door advancing to the round of 16 for the third time in his last four tournaments.

Contesting his 34th-career Masters 1000, Young will play for his first Masters quarterfinal when he faces fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori next.

Nishikori, who broke serve four times carving up Gilles Muller, 6-2, 6-2, in 71 minutes, is 4-0 lifetime vs. Young.

"We go way back, me and Kei have known eachh other a long time," Young said. "We're gonna go out there and play our best and let the best man win."




Staring down the first break point of the match in the eighth game, Young slid a slice serve out wide to erase it. Two more twisting serves helped Young hold for 4-all.

Spinning his third double fault long, Pouille confronted break point in the next game. Anticipating the approach to his left, Young blistered a running forehand pass down the line erupting with the break and a 5-4 lead.

A slick half-volley pick-up earned Young double set point. He closed the 33-minute opening set when Pouille pasted a backhand into net.

The left-hander scalded a 95 mph forehand to save break point in his opening service game of the second set.

Continuing to exert pressure in the fourth game, Pouille ripped a running forehand pass crosscourt breaking at love for 3-1. He cracked an ace out wide to consolidate and never looked back snatching the second set.

When Pouille opted to attack the Young forehand, he sometimes paid the price. Young zipped a forehand pass down the line for break points then broke for a 2-0 lead in the decider as Pouille netted a volley.

Young fought off a pair of break points to confirm the break in the third game.

Prowling the baseline, an energized Young continued stepping into the court using his forehand to force the Frenchman to defend. Young broke again extending the lead to 4-0. Surviving a three double-fault game, Young used an ace and crackling serve to work through a tricky game holding for 5-0.

Hanging tough, Pouille saved two match points to hold then fought off another two points when Young sprayed forehands to break for 2-5. The feisty Frenchman strung together a three-game run to test Young’s nerve.

Serving for the fourth round again, Young missed another match point.

Finally, on his seventh match point, Young cranked a forehand down the line, watched Pouille’s pass miss the mark then pounded his palm against his chest signaling a heart-felt victory.

 

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