Albert Montanes fights past Enrico Burzi into the second round – AON Open 2012 CH
World number 111, Albert Montanes of Spain, moved to the next round after facing tough resistance, as he defeated Italy’s 328th ranked player, Enrico Burzi, in three sets 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the AON
Open Challenger in Genova, Italy.
In the first set, both players held their serve in the first two games to level the score at 1-1. Montanes hit a blow to his Italian opponent in the third and consolidated on it to move ahead 3-1. Though, Burzi broke back in the
eighth to square off the score at 4-4. The subsequent four games went with serve, taking the proceedings to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. The Italian contender stunned everyone by winning six straight points to race to a 4-0 lead. Montanes was lucky enough
to win one point after that but then he lost 6-7(1).
Burzi pounded four aces and 71 percent of the first serves in the opening set, clinching 19 of the 25 points on them. The Italian also impressed on his second deliveries and returns, as he secured six of the 10 and 15 of the 24
points on them respectively.
Montanes made drastic improvement in his game in the second set, breaking the Italian player in the second and holding his following serve to attain a 3-0 advantage. The Spaniard struck again in the sixth and capitalised on the
double break to win 6-1.
The 31-year-old banged in a single ace and committed a couple of double faults in the second set. He did not have impressive serve statistics, as he hit just 54 percent of the first serves and converted nine of the 13 of them into
points. Though, Montanes succeeded in claiming six of the eight second returns to balance it.
The Spaniard and Burzi broke each twice in the first six games of the decider to square off the score at 3-3. Montanes captured three of the following four to close it 6-4.
The 5ft 9in tall is slated to play either Dominik Meffert of Germany or Italy’s Gianluca Naso for a place in the last-eight stage.
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