Albert Ramos overcomes Igor Andreev in the first round – Bet-At-Home Cup 2011
In a match between two unseeded players, world number 74 Albert Ramos of Spain battled past world number 83 Igor Andreev of Russia in three sets 6-0, 6-7(2), 6-4 in the opening round at the Bet-At-Home Cup in Kitzbuhel on Monday.
The longest match of the day lasted for two hours and 25 minutes.
Ramos was flawless in the first set as he did not drop even a single game, breaking the Russian three times and clinching six consecutive games to seal the set 6-0.
The Spaniard had a mixed service performance as he failed to deliver any ace and committed two double faults in the first set. Ramos delivered just 50 percent of the first serves but converted an incredible eight of the nine first
serves into points. The difference between the two players was the return of serve. Ramos claimed a whopping seven of the thirteen first return points in the first set. On the other hand, Andreev was able to bag only one of the nine first return points. Ramos
won three of the five break point opportunities he created on Andreev’s serve and saved the one break point he faced in the opening set.
Ramos came roaring into the second set, breaking the Russian in the second game and holding his serve in the next game to grab a 3-0 lead. At that time, it was looking that Andreev will receive another bagel set. However, the Russian
fought back and captured next three games, breaking back in the fifth game to equalise the score at 3-3. Ramos and Andreev held their serve during rest of the set, squaring off the score at 6-6 and taking the set to a tie-break. The Russian claimed three mini-breaks
in the tie-break to grab it 7-2.
Andreev bagged eighteen of the 24 first service points and seven of the twelve second service points in the second set. The Russian captured one of the five break points he received on the Spaniard’s serve and saved two of the
three break points he faced on his own serve in the second set.
In a similar fashion to the first two sets, Ramos was first to take lead in the deciding set as he broke the Russian in the third game and won his next service game to go ahead 3-1. However, Andreev was in no mood to go down without
a fight, breaking back in the sixth game to level the score at 3-3. However, Ramos broke again in the very next game and capitalised on it to win the set 6-4.
The Spaniard will take on compatriot, eighth seed Pablo Andujar in the round of 16.
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