Alessandro Giannessi survives Olivier Patience in final qualifier – BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy 2011
Firing off with the final match of the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy 2011 qualifiers on Monday, 19th September, Alessandro Giannessi, Italian, went on against Olivier Patience of France for a fight into the main draws of the ATP event. Playing in the heart of Romania, Bucharest, the Italian world No.183 accomplished a 6-3, 6-4 win in an hour and sixteen minutes to walk into the opening round.
Aged 21, the Italian boy wonder has had a magnificent last 10 match run. Winning 7 out of those, Giannessi stands at his highest ranking ever. On the contrary, the Frenchman, a former world No.87, had dropped significantly. Now below 500, Patience has only won 4 of his past 10 matches with the final qualifier adding another loss to that.
Walking into the hot red clay court, the two opened up at the crowd gave then a round of applause as he entered and took their positions. Although the Italian was in his best form, the Frenchman was a tad better. Opening up first the 21-year-old served out and rolled down the scoreboard, 1-0.
With Patience to serve next, the tables turned early with Giannessi breaking the 31-year-old in game 2 and serving out the following game to lead the set 3-0. The right-hander pulled off his first win of the set cutting down the lead to 1-3, however, could not break back.
Increasing his lead to 4-1, the right-hander mustered the next game and maintained his command in the set. With no more breakpoints for either of the two, the set finalized at 6-3 with the young 21-year-old winning and taking the lead in the match, 1-0.
Patience served the starter of set 2, and set himself up for a fall. Losing the first game, the 31-year-old finally held his defence breaking back in game 2 and levelling the scores to 1-1. The two rallied out hard winning games on respective serves and levelling up again at 2-2, 3-3 and then at 4-4 with the Frenchman to serve next.
Although less experienced, Giannessi knew the perfect spots to hit and break. Making his technique useful, the world number183 broke the Frenchman for the second time in set 2 to take the lead, 5-4. Finally, serving out game 10 of the 2nd set, Giannessi bulldozed his rival taking away the set, 6-4, and the match 2-0.
The 21-year-old now sits in the main draw, where he will play against the 8thseeded Spaniard, Albert Montanes.
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