In a summer full of blockbuster movie sequels, it seems only fitting that today’s Colorado State Open men’s final is a little like something we have seen before.
Cory Ross versus Willie Dann II was almost scrapped on the cutting room floor.
With Ross, last month’s Denver City Open champ, already in the final with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Paul Koenke, all Dann needed to do was beat his longtime doubles and hitting partner Lewis Miller in the other semifinal.
Easier said than done. After dropping the first set 6-1 in just 30 minutes, the 35-year-old Dann fought off two match points in the second-set tiebreaker, to advance 1-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 on Saturday at the Gates Tennis Center.
“It’s tough mentally to have match points and to lose it,” Dann said. “It’s just tough to keep your focus.
“We’ve only played three billion times, and it’s really tough to be aggressive because you really want the other guy to win. I just didn’t have that killer spirit, because I like the guy on the other side.”
Miller earned his edge in the tiebreaker at 6-5 with a return of serve that caught Dann off balance. With a chance to serve out the match, Miller double-faulted. Miller’s serve let him down at 8-8 when he double-faulted again and gave Dann the chance to serve out the set.
Dann seized the momentum in the decisive third set by earning a break to go up 4-2, and finally closed out the match in 2 hours and 25 minutes.
“It was just a matter of me settling down and being a little more patient,” Dann said. “I feel fine. I’m not that tired at all. In fact, I’ll probably have more energy than I did today, because I just really did not want to win today.”
Ross had Koenke, a former East High School standout and current Clemson Tiger, muttering to himself early, an advantage he preyed on quickly.
“I like to liken tennis to any 1-on-1 competition, like a fight or boxing. If you see a weakness in your opponent, whether it’s physically, emotionally or whatever, that just feeds you,” said Ross, who will play Dann today after the women’s final.
On the women’s side, Allie Shafner downed former Cherry Creek High School teammate Rachel Loeb 7-6 (5), 6-2 to advance to the 9 a.m. final. Shafner will play University of Denver junior Lorinda Boothman, who made quick work of Tabatha Knop 6-2, 6-1.
Staff writer Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
