2011 Open 13: Tomas Berdych and Michael Llodra move into final eight
Top seed, Tomas Berdych moves into his third quarterfinal for the season this week, after doing away with local qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin at the 2011 Open 13 in Marseille
on Thursday.
Seeded second in the event, Berdych had received a bye into the second round. Kicking off his campaign, Berdych met the local for the second round match. Already standing
at a 1-0 lead in the head to head, Berdych was able to maintain his perfect lead as he did away with Vasselin in straight sets.
Serving in the opener, Berdych registered an impressive 85% winning percentage on first serve. Hitting a notable total of five aces to Vasselin’s one, the Czech established
his dominance on the court from the start.
Successfully converting one of three break opportunities, Berdych was able to secure a 6-3 win for himself going one up in the set score.
Maintaining his form into the second set, the Czech improved his first serve winning percentage to a notable 95%. The hard hitting Czech struck six more aces in the second
set as he continued his assault on the local. Despite playing against a local, Berdych was able to counter the home court advantage as he managed to successfully convert one of five break opportunities to clinch a 6-4 win for himself.
In a match that lasted seventy four minutes, Berdych lost only thirteen of fifty five points on service as he rushed to secure a spot in the final eight. The Czech will
now face the Croat giant, Marin Cilic.
Although Vasselin failed to move on ahead (and pitted against a top ten player, who could blame him?), his compatriot Michael Llodra capitalized on the home court advantage
as he defeated German Tobias Kamke in straight sets.
Not only did the Frenchman enjoy the crowd support, he also had the higher ranking and perhaps a better skillset.
Llodra established his dominance from the very first set when he recorded an impressive 84% on first serve percentage. Successfully saving one of one break points, Llodra
also managed to convert one of one break opportunities as he rushed to a 6-3 win for himself.
Llodra carried on his form into the second set when he again saved hundred percent break points and also managed to convert one of four break opportunities to seal his straight
sets victory with a 6-4 win in the second set.
Taking a little over an hour, Llodra struck a resounding total of 12 aces to Kamke’s three which more than made up for his three double faults. The Frenchman moves on ahead
into the quarterfinals with a loss of only fifteen of fifty eight points on service. A defending champion here, Llodra now continues his title defence against Robin Soderling.
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