2011 French Open: Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, Blaz Kavcic qualify for the second round
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo ousts Marin Cilic 7-5(5), 6-4, 6-4
Spanish Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, ranked 100th in the world, caused the first upset of French Open as he prevailed over nineteenth seed Marin Cilic of Croatia in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round at Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday. The match lasted for two hours and 53 minutes.
Ramirez Hidalgo and Cilic broke each other twice in the first twelve games of the opening set and levelled the score at 6-6, forcing a tie-break. The Spaniard claimed an early mini-break and capitalised on it to grab the tie-break 7-5. The 33-year-old hit eight winners and seventeen unforced errors in the first set. Whereas, Cilic was too erratic as he committed 35 unforced errors in the opening set.
Continuing his solid performance, Ramirez Hidalgo broke Cilic in the seventh game of the second set and took a 4-3 lead. The Spaniard consolidated on the only break of serve, winning the set 6-4.
The right-handed broke his opponent in the first and third game of the third set to race to a 3-0 lead. Serving for the match at 5-2, Ramirez Hidalgo could not hold his serve and lost the next game, taking the score to 5-4. However, the Spaniard did not give the Croatian any more chances and served out the set in the tenth game.
The six feet tall will meet compatriot Albert Montanes, ranked 38th in the world, in the second round.
Blaz Kavcic defeats Ernests Gulbis 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
World number 82 Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia thrashed world number 83 Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to qualify for the round of 64. The Slovene needed just an hour and 56 minutes to undo his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Kavcic crushed the Latvian in the first set, allowing the 22-year-old to win only a single game and capturing the set 6-1. The Slovene delivered 63 percent of the first serves and converted 80 percent of them into points in the opening set. The right-handed saved one of the two break points he faced and converted three of the four break points on Gulbis’ serve in the first set.
The Croatian broke his opponent in the ninth game of the second set, claiming it 6-4. Kavcic fired four aces and 72 percent of the first serves in the second set, grabbing 67 percent of the points on them.
The six feet and two inches tall never looked back after winning the second set, breaking Gulbis twice to win the third set 6-2. The 24-year-old hit six winners and five unforced errors in the third set.
Kavcic is drawn to face either world number 26 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina or Croatian Ivo Karlovic, ranked 148th in the world, in the second round.
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