2011 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament: Unseeded Dmitry Tursunov qualifies
Playing in its 38th edition this week, the 2011 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament kicked off in Rotterdam, Netherlands on Monday seeing its four qualifiers for
the main draw.
The ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament is the first ATP 500 level event of the season and is held at Ahoy Rotterdam indoor sporting arena from 7th February to
13th February.
Kicking off the final round of the qualies was the unseeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov. Tursunov had made his way into the final after doing away with seventh seeded local,
Igor Sijsling in straight sets. The score line for the match was 6-3, 7-6(3).
Moving into final, Tursunov met top seed, Philipp Petzschner. Surviving a mid match lapse, Tursunov was able to upset the top seed and gain acceptance in the main draw
in a three set win.
A neck to neck run between the two players in the opener kept the score tied for ten games. Striking a seven of total twelve aces and registering a near perfect 94 percent
as the first serve winning percentage, Tursunov managed to convert one of one break point opportunities to clinch a close 7-5 victory.
Bouncing back in the second set, Petzschner lost only seven points on service to secure a 6-4 win and level the set score pushing the match into a decider.
However, the Russian regrouped in the final set to clinch a 6-3 victory and secure a position for himself in the main draw. Tursunov took less than two hours to secure
a three set win capitalizing on Petzschner’s four double faults and losing only 23 of 88 points on service. The Russian moves on ahead to play Kazakh Andrey Golubev.
Joining Tursunov in the main draw is the eighth seeded French Benoit Paire. Paire moved into the finals after securing a twin set score victory of 6-4, 6-4 against local
Matwe Middlekoop. Paire’s opponent in the final was second seeded compatriot, Julien Benneteau. Bouncing back from being one set down, Paire secured a three set win against his countryman prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In a match that lasted almost two hours, Paire struck twelve aces to Benneteau’s three. He converted only 3 of 10 break opportunities and gained acceptance in the main
draw losing only 26 of 81 points on service. Paire’s first opponent in the main draw will be his compatriot, Gilles Simon.
Although Petzschner failed to make it into the main draw, his compatriot Mischa Zverev had luck in his corner during the qualifying final. Losing only four games, Zverev
had enjoyed a straight sets win against Finn wildcard entrant, Micke Kontinen. Maintaining his not set loss streak, Zverev was able to enjoy another straight sets victory against his opponent in the final, Sergei Bubka.
Resistance from the Ukrainian pushed the first set into a tiebreaker though Zverev was able to clinch a 7-2 victory going one up in the set score. The German wrapped up
his straight sets victory in only seventy five minutes securing a 6-3 win in the second set.
Converting 3 of 6 break opportunities and losing only 19 of 62 points on service, Zverev is able to move into the main draw where he will face the Croat giant, Marin Cilic.
Also making his way into the main draw is Grigor Dimitrov. Seeded fourth in the qualifying draw, Dimitrov lost only nine games in four sets to move past local wildcard
entrant, David De Goede and then Evgeny Korolev as he made his way into the main draw. Though as luck would have it, this would be as far as the Bulgarian player might go since he is drawn against eighth seeded, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round of the
main draw.
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