The match
Lost to Sam Cantello 3-6, 4-6. Straight sets.
He held nine of his ten service games. On 8/17 I broke him five times in eleven return games. This time I broke him once in ten. That one came at 2-2 in the second set, and I was up 40-0 in it and still only closed it at 40-30. In the second set he held to love three separate times.
My serve was fine again. Held six of nine. Three aces in the 3-5 game, an all-ace love hold at 1-2 in the second set. On 8/17 I held seven of ten. Two matches against Cantello, two matches where I served well enough and lost anyway. This one is not decided on my serve.
The first set is the one I gave away. Three of his five service games went to multiple deuces and ads and he held every one. That is his whole game. He does not overwhelm you anywhere, he just makes you earn the long game and then takes it. On 8/17 I broke him twice late in the first set by extending rallies and getting the ball back. This time I got to the same positions and finished none of them.
My legs went early. Got gassed in the humidity at 2-4 in the first set and my legs were gone by the end of it. It was a battle from there. Same story as 8/17 in 100 degrees, where I was already exhausted at 5-3 of the first set. Twice now my legs have gone before his do.
He also started crushing my backhand in the second set. I was hitting okay shots and he just moved me around and took advantage of it. Held from 0-30 at 4-3, got broken at 15-40 at 4-5, and he served it out at 40-30.
The takeaway: against Cantello this match is my return of serve and my legs, and I lost both. I wrote after 8/17 that I have to get better at the return. I was returning well but I couldn’t get the break I needed when I had opportunities.