Albert Montanes earns surprise victory over Juan Ignacio Chela in semis – Bet-At-Home Cup 2011
Spain’s Albert Montanes upset top seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina in straight sets at the Bet-At-Home Cup 2011, an ATP World Tour 250 series event held at the Tennis stadium Kitzbuhel in Kitzbuhel, Austria. He registered a
6-2, 7-5 score line over 31-year-old Chela to reach his tenth ATP World Tour final on Friday.
World number 50, Montanes displayed nerves of steel to stun the tournaments highest ranked player, lies twenty-seven spots above him, for the second time in their fifth meeting. He took revenge for his loss at Buenos Aires earlier
this year and inched towards €64,000 prize money after his 200th tour level win.
The Sant Carles de la Rapita born star, Montanes raged into the clay courts in the first set and earned the coveted break in the opening game. However, he lost his serve in the very next game to tie the scores at 1-1. After Chela
held his serve for the first time in the third game, the Spaniard unleashed flurry of groundstrokes to reel off next five games in a row and pocket the opener with a 6-2 win.
Montanes kept momentum floating into the final set. He also earned an early break and went 3-1 up. However, to his dismay, the Spaniard lost his serve in the sixth game and levelled the scores at 3-3. Later, he exchanged another
break and then broke Chela’s serve for the third time in the eleventh game to eventually seal the set by winning seven games to five.
Overall, the 30-year-old Spaniard spilled more errors, more double faults and clobbered a lower first serve share of 61 percent as compared to Argentinean’s 77 percent. However, Montanes covered it up by registered a fabulous 79
percent win on it and by converting six out of fourteen breakpoint opportunities to his advantage. He also saved two out of five breakpoints saved and sealed the deal in one hour and thirty-two minutes.
He will face Dutch number one, Robin Haase in the title round. Haase said about his match against the Spaniard, "Of course I hope to take my good form to the final and play well again... I hope that I can keep up my good record
from Challenger finals."
The Dutchman rallied past Brazilian qualifier Joao Souza in three sets to advance into the finals. He made quick in-roads to earn a breadstick but lost his way in the second set. Haase then clinched the decider with a single break
of serve and triumphed with a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4 victory in two hours and ten minutes.
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