Merrick Native Scott Lipsky Competes in Professional Tennis Tour

The old adage in tennis that one or two points make all the difference rang true for Merrick native Scott Lipsky.

Teaming with fellow American Rajeev Ram in the doubles final of the South African Open in Johannesburg, Africa, Lipsky came within a handful of points of his second ATP Tour doubles title, but ended up producing a pair of ill-timed unforced errors to help lead the team of James Cerretani and Adil Shamasdin to a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 win.

“It’s disappointing to come up a little short, but Rajeev and I still had a good week,” said Lipsky, who was vying for his second ATP Tour doubles title. “All credit to James and Adil for a [great] effort.”

The Merrick native and his partner were the far more experienced team going into the match, but Cerretani and Shamasdin were able to trade service holds with Lipsky and Ram in the early stages of the first set. Fighting off the attacking style of the American pair, Cerretani saved three break points on his serve, two of them with missed returns from Lipsky, to give him and Shamasdin a 4-3 lead.

A pair of dipping returns from Cerretani on Ram’s next service game set up winning volleys from Shamasdin, giving the American-Canadian duo a 5-3 lead. Shamasdin finally began to feel the pressure of competing in his first ATP Tour final, going down 0-40 on his serve. However, a series of strong serves got them back to deuce, and an ace down the middle wrapped up the opening set.

“I didn’t feel all that nervous, but it probably looked that way to everyone else out there,” said Shamasdin. “That’s the mark of our team though. When our backs are against the wall, we’re able to produce our best stuff.”

Lipksy returned for the second set with a renewed sense of energy, holding his serve easily, and then producing a strong forehand return to set up break point in Cerretani’s opening service game. The Massachusetts native tossed in a double fault to give Lipsky and Ram the early break of serve, which they rode all the way through to the second set, setting up a 10 point match tiebreaker to decide the championship.

An overhead winner from Lipsky gave the Americans a commanding 3-0 lead, but Cerretani and Shamasdin saved their best tennis for the end of the match. With both players hitting a series of fantastic reflex volleys over the next several points, they managed to force a missed backhand from Ram to gain the mini-break back at 3-3.

Feeling the pressure of the occasion, Lipsky hit a double fault to send his team down 6-5, but Shamasdin threw in a double fault one point later to tie the match back up.

Three points later, Shamasdin redeemed himself with a forehand volley winner off an attempt at a backhand pass from Ram to send the American-Canadian pair up 8-7. On their first match point, Cerretani hit a second serve ace to clinch the championship.

“Johannesburg puts on one of the best events on the calendar every year,” said Lipsky. “Everything from the courts to the hotels are just amazing. I hope they can find a way to bring the event back next year.”

Lipsky competed in 33 events last year, winning the doubles title at an ATP event in Atlanta and reaching the semifinals at three other events. He also enjoyed success on the challenger circuit, the equivalent of the minor leagues in baseball, winning three tournament titles over the course of 2010.

The finals showing in Johannesburg will lift Lipsky from No. 55 to No. 49 in the ATP World Tour doubles rankings.