2011 Brisbane International: Wednesday Review for Men's Singles Draw
The season opener, Brisbane International, entered its fourth day of play on Wednesday. With both men and women playing at the event, 11 second round clashes were scheduled for the day. As a result of these clashes, 6 ATP professionals
secured their places in the quarterfinal round leaving only two positions up for grabs.
Kicking off the men’s singles play for the day was defending champion and second seed Andy Roddick as he played Alexandr Dolgopolov. Roddick had moved into the second round after doing away with wildcard entrant Marinko Matosevic
while Dolgopolov defeated Igor Andreev to meet Roddick in the second round. Both professionals enjoyed straight set victories in their first round clashes.
Although Roddick lost the lead early into the match, he bounced back to clinch a 6-4, 6-1 victory in less than an hour. Roddick served fifteen aces with only one double fault and a loss of only eight points to continue his title
defence at the event. Roddick had won the title in 2010 after doing away with the then defending champion, Radek Stepanek. Roddick is now set to face Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in their quarterfinal match.
Coincidentally, the second player to secure his berth in the quarterfinal was Baghdatis. Fifth seed Baghdatis had moved into the second round to setup a clash with Lukasz Kubot after defeating Florent Serra. Kubot had defeated
Daniel Brands by 6-2, 6-2 in their opening clash. Baghdatis avenged Brands’ loss defeating Kubot by a twin set score of 6-2, 6-2. Baghdatis served five aces and lost only fourteen points on service to wrap up a straight set victory in 64 minutes.
However, the first unseeded player to move into the quarterfinals on Wednesday was Colombian Santiago Giraldo. Giraldo secured a second round spot after defeating Gilles Simon by 6-2, 6-3. Giraldo met Benjamin Becker in their second
round matchup. Becker had moved ahead after defeating third seed Fernando Verdasco in a three setter in their opening round clash. Giraldo moved into the quarterfinals after a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Becker.
Giraldo goes on to meet Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals, where the latter moved ahead toppling sixth seed Feliciano Lopez. Anderson had defeated lucky loser Peter Luczak by a twin set score of 6-4, 6-4. In a surprising turn
of events, Anderson did away with Lopez in the first set, 6-3, before wrapping it up with a breadstick win in 56 minutes.
The last seed to sail through to the quarterfinals was German pro Florian Mayer. After defeating wildcard entrant Bernard Tomic by a double 6-2, 6-2 score in their opening clash; Florian had setup a second round clash with qualifier
Ricardas Berankis. Having qualified for the main draw on Monday, Berankis had played his first main draw match against Arnaud Clement, defeating the latter by 6-4, 6-3. In a hard fought battle between Mayer and Berankis, the former won the first set 6-4 before
having the tables turned on him in the second by 4-6. The German bounced back in the decider to clinch it 6-4 and in effect a spot for himself in the quarterfinals.
The last pro to secure a spot for himself in the quarterfinals was 2010 finalist Radek Stepanek. Stepanek goes ahead in the event after toppling fourth seed Mardy Fish. Stepanek had started his title run at the event against Tobias
Kamke. Bouncing back from being one set down, Stepanek won the second and the decider to setup a quarterfinal clash with Mayer.
With six pros having qualified for the quarterfinals only two spots remain to be filled.
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