Alex Bogomolov Jr. rallies past Mischa Zverev into second round – Hall of Fame Championships 2011
World number 66 Alex Bogomolov Jr. of USA survived a opening set scare to defeat world number 103 Mischa Zverev of Germany in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at Newport
on Monday. The American took an hour and 33 minutes to oust his opponent in a tough contest.
Zverev was the first to take lead as he broke the American in the seventh game of the first set and held his serve in the next game to take a 5-3 lead. The German served out the set in the tenth game, claiming it 6-4.
The 23-year-old delivered 59 percent of the first serves and a single ace in the first set. Zverev sealed a whopping 85 percent of the first service points and 36 percent of the second service points in the first set. The German
returned very well, converting 32 percent of the returns into points in the opening set. Zverev capitalised on one of the three break points he created on the American’s serve and saved both break points on his own serve in the first set.
Bogomolov Jr. came roaring in the second set as he broke the German in the second game and held his serve in the next game to race to a 3-0 lead. Zverev broke back in the fifth game but failed to hold his serve again in the sixth
game, trailing 2-4. The American did not allow his opponent to break back this time, serving out the set at 5-3.
The 28-year-old kept his first service percentage at 61 percent and converted twelve of the nineteen first serves into points in the second set. Bogomolov Jr. made the difference with his accurate service returns, grabbing 46 percent
of the return points in the second set. The American converted two of the three break points he received and saved two of the three break points on his own serve in the second set.
After levelling the score at one set apiece, Bogomolov Jr. was almost flawless in the deciding set as he lost only one game, breaking Zverev three times to win the set 6-1.
The American hit 72 percent of the first serves and converted 77 percent of them into points in the final set. The five feet and ten inches tall won all the three break points he received on Zverev’s serve in the deciding set.
Bogomolov Jr. is slated to face unseeded Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium in the second round.
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