Atlanta native Donald Young’s time at the BB&T Atlanta Open came to an end.
Young lost in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) to fourth-ranked Matthew Ebden of Australia on Thursday afternoon.
It was an eventful week for Young as he celebrated his birthday between match delays and tough opponents. After rallying in the singles-bracket opener, Young struggled against Edben in round of 16.
Edben used a long serve to keep Young off-balance all afternoon. He took the first set by consistently keeping the ball in the corners with his serve. Edben also played solid return shots that registered backhand winners.
Young had his moments, but his overall performance was uneven. He smashed cross-court winners and had a nice high-volley shot that forced Edben to return it into the net. However, he couldn’t put Edben away when he needed it. This led to him trading games with Edben until the final moments.
In the second set, Young battled back with some impressive rally shots. He was able to get the set tied at 4-4, before faulting twice on his serve in the eighth game. Edben took advantage to win game point, before putting the match away.
“I knew I had to come out and play aggressive and assert my game,” Edben said. “I didn’t want to give him too many chances to get up in the match. I think I did that really well as I served really big in my games.”
The loss comes on the heels of Young and Christopher Eubanks losing in the quarterfinals of the doubles portion of the tournament. Edben moves to face Marcos Baghdatis in the quarterfinals Friday.
“I got to play similar and continue to play with authority and aggression on the court,” Edben said. “That is going to give me the best chances to win many matches in a row and win tournaments.”
Young left after the match and was not available for comment.
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