I arrived at this one with Likhovtseva serving up 3-2 in the first set. That sixth game was a wild one -- the Russian went from 0-30 to 40-30, then lost three points in a row for a service break. Miller and Likhovtseva exchanged holds for 4-4. Miller then got down 15-40, but blasted away both break opportunities with down the line backhands. Likhovtseva took the next two points, though, breaking for 5-4. You could tell both players were intense in Game 10. They could tell us, actually -- Likhovtseva yelled at the chair umpire ("Are you watching this line or not?") and Miller yelled at herself ("God, you are so tight!"). The young American squandered four break points in that game, but converted the fifth when a Likhovtseva backhand was called long on an overrule.
Miller played a poor game at 5-5 and knew it. "Move up! You're so far behind the baseline!", Anne admonished herself before being broken at love. Likhovtseva would blow her second opportunity to serve out the set, though, Miller forcing the tiebreak with a backhand cross-court winner. After several games of high quality tennis, both players struggled in the tiebreak. Miller went up a mini-break at 2-1, but choked that lead away with a really bad double fault. Another one of those cross-court backhand lasers put her ahead 4-3, then she double faulted THAT lead away for 4-4. Another cross-court backhand winner put Miller (better known for her forehand) up 6-4, but she lost her first set point by swinging too hard at a Likhovtseva serve. Elena repaid the favor, though. As rain began to fall, Likhovtseva sent a forehand into the net to end a 7-5 tiebreak. Play was suspended with Miller up a set.
I returned to this match just in time to see Miller make three errors in a row, allowing Likhovtseva to hold for 3-2 in the 2nd set. Anne looked quite disgruntled and had further cause to feel bad after losing a close game to trail 4-2. Miller twice had break point in the seventh game, but she lost them both with errors. Two errant returns in a row made it 5-2; Anne grumbled "this sucks" on her way to the changeover. Down 30-40 in the next game, Miller threw in another untimely double fault and commented "yeah, that's smart." Second set to Likhovtseva, 6-2.
Miller kept right on talking to herself in the opening game of the final set, which Likhovtseva won for a 1-0 lead. Elena doesn't have any one big weapon, but she's in good condition and can hit seemingly any shot in the book. She started driving her opponent batty with drop shots in the next game, but Miller held after two deuces for 1-1. After Likhovtseva drilled a forehand into the net for 30-40, Miller broke with a scintillating backhand service return. The next game was a marathon, going to four deuces. Miller finally held, but it seemed to take a lot out of her. She was fatigued enough to lean against the back fence midway through the game, perhaps not quite match tough after a recent injury-forced absence from the tour.
Miller hung tough, taking a 0-40 lead on Likhovtseva's serve. She made three straight errors, though, and threw her racquet in disgust two points later after letting the game slip away. Miller didn't receive a code violation warning, but the umpire did have a little talk with her during the changeover. If the talk was meant to persuade Anne to tone down her act, it didn't work. "Let's not be so CASUAL!" she screamed at herself after a loose error nearly cost her the sixth game of the set. Miller did hold for 4-2, but Likhovtseva had an easier time holding for 4-3. Miller swore under her breath upon reaching her chair -- not loud enough to warrant an audible obscenity call, but loud enough that those of us in the front row heard it clearly.
With Miller exuding all kinds of negative energy and the scrappy Likhovtseva appearing to be the fresher player, I assumed Anne would have trouble closing out this win. Surprisingly, however, Elena's game went south. In a match mostly decided on Miller winners and errors, Likhovtseva errors brought the final set to 5-3, 15-40. Miller missed her first match point with a wide forehand, but she recovered by smacking a forehand winner down the line to complete a minor upset -- 7-6, 2-6, 6-3. I believe Elena Likhovtseva is one of the few WTA players to have argued herself into a default, but on Monday it was Anne Miller providing both the verbal fireworks and the crucial winners.