In the men’s singles competition, Alexander Crum defeated Federico Staksrud, the top seed, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6 in what may end up being the upset of the year.
Crum fought his way through the qualifying rounds on Monday and needed to defeat Todd Fought on Tuesday morning to face the top seed. The 33-year-old is not surprised by the victory, though.”I know this is probably a shocking result for most people watching, but for people who know my game and know what I’m capable of, I knew that if I returned well and I volleyed well, I would have a good shot.”Crum’s ability to pass Staksrud at the kitchen line in crucial situations was aided by his two-handed backhand.”The returns were so-so, and I knew I had to go big on them,” he explained. “I didn’t pass as much as I would have liked, but I basically categorize myself as a shorter, less consistent, slower version of Chris Haworth, and that’s still sometimes pretty good.”Given that Haworth had defeated Staksrud in their last three matches, Crum finds that comparison to be especially helpful.”Obviously, I’m thrilled with the win. What Federico has done on the singles side is pretty incredible, so I’m kind of at a loss for words. I’m just gonna try and keep it rolling.”Crum will play Mota Alhouni, the 27th seed, in the Round of 32 on Wednesday.