Alejandro Falla overcomes Juan Ignacio Chela to advance to the second round – Mutua Madrid Open 2012
Qualifier, Alejandro Falla, also succeeded on the day of upsets, surprising world number 36, Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, in three sets 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round at the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain on Monday. The Colombian
contender, Falla, required an hour and 52 minutes to throw his higher ranked opponent out of the competition.
Chela drew the first blood, snatching a break in the opening game of the match and winning his next serve to grab a 2-0 advantage. However, the Argentinean could not carry on with the same flow, as he succeeded in winning only
one game later on, losing six of the following seven to go down 3-6.
Falla smashed two aces and 56 percent of the first serves, bagging 12 of the 14 points on them in the first set. The Colombian failed to save the only break point he faced but compensated that by converting two of the six he received.
Just like the first set, Chela made a good start in the second, as he captured first three games to take a 3-0 lead. This time, he didn't let it away until the end, breaking his opponent again in the eighth game to close it 6-2.
The Argentinean banged in a couple of aces and 63 percent of the first deliveries in the second set. The Buenos Aires, Argentina, resident converted 13 of the 19 first and six of the 11 second serves into points. He was almost
flawless on the second replies, losing just one of the seven points on them. The right-hander put away all the three break threats he faced and availed both opportunities he created.
Falla did not allow the Argentinean to keep the winning momentum, as he struck in the opening game of the decider and consolidated on it to go up 2-0. Chela, however, came back immediately to equalise the score at 2-2. Falla made
double breakthrough after that, sealing four games in a row to triumph 6-2.
The Colombian won most of the points on the first serves and second returns, as he won 14 of the 20 and 10 of the 14 points on them respectively. He fired a single ace and stood strong against his opponent’s first deliveries, clinching
seven of the 15 points.
Falla is slated to meet 15th seed, Fernando Verdasco of Spain, or Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the next round.
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