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Three years after claiming the Dallas Open title, Reilly Opelka playswell again at the home event. The giant server received a wild card for the main draw and defeated two rivals en route to the quarter-final.
The American battled against Cameron Norrie in the second round and prevailed 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in two and a half hours. Opelka dropped the opener and trailed 5-4 in the tie break of the second set. He kept composure and grabbed the final three points to force a decider.
Reilly secured an early break in the third set, bringingthe victory home. The home player battled against his opponent and a heckler in the stands. Someone disrupted his rhythm multiple times, and Opelka lost his temper while serving for the win at 5-4 in the final set.
He received a point penalty from the chair umpireGreg Allensworth and faced a break point. The American denied it and two more before moving over the top.
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They took the same number of points (101 each) and stayed neck and neck. Reillyfired 18 aces and denied four of five break points. The Briton played against four break chances, saving three but suffering a pivotal break at the beginning of the third set.
Cameron served well in the opening set and provided five comfortable holds. Opelka struggled in two service games. He saved two break points in the third game with winners before spraying a forehand error two games later to fall 3-2 behind.
Norrie served well and held at love in game tenfor 6-4 in 36 minutes. The second set provided 12 fine holds, with only one deuce on the American's serve. Reilly grabbed a mini-break in the third point after a sharp return before Cameron pulled it back at 1-3.
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A left-handed claimed three straight points and secured another mini-break at 4-4 with a backhand crosscourt return winner. Opelka claimed an entertaining rally in the tenth point to pull the mini-break back and extend his chances.
Norrie sprayed a backhand error in the 11th point, falling 6-5 behind. The American wrapped up the set with a service winner, taking three straight points and forcing a decider after an hour and 28 minutes. The former world no. 17 stepped in on the return at 1-1.
The home star cracked a backhand down the line return winner for three break points. Reilly fired a powerful return on the third, converting it and delivering a crucial break. Opelka held after a deuce in the fourth game and missed a break point in the next one.
The American landed an ace in the eighth game and moved 5-3 in front. He served for the win in game ten when he lost his temper over a persistent heckler! Opelka cursed out the spectator at 30-30, andAllensworth issued a point penalty for an audible obscenity!
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Thus, Norrie created a break chance. The home player called for a supervisor, but the umpire's call stood strong. The former champion saved a break point with a service winner and repeated that with the next two to prolong the game.
The giant server created a match point after the rival's mistake and seized it with an ace down the T line for a place in the last eight.
