Alexandr Dolgopolov prevails over Filippo Volandri in the opening round of Open de Nice Côte d’Azur
World number 23, Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov defeated Italian Filippo Volandri, ranked 74th in the world, in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club on
Sunday. The Ukrainian took an hour and 21 minutes to oust his opponent.
Volandri was the first to take lead as the Italian broke Dolgopolov in the third game of the first set to go ahead 2-1. However, Volandri was unable to consolidate on the break of serve, getting broken in the very next game to
level the score at 2-2. Both players held their serve in the next seven games, taking the score to 6-5 in Dolgopolov’s favour. Serving to stay in the set at 5-6, Volandri was broken again, losing the set 5-7.
Dolgopolov did not serve quite well in the opening set. The right-handed hit a single ace and a couple of double faults in the first set. The 22-year-old had a pathetic first serve percentage, delivering a mere 30 percent of the
first serves and converting 78 percent of them into points in the first set. On the other hand, Volandri had a far better first serve percentage as he fired 74 percent of the first serves, claiming 52 percent of the points on them in the opening set.
The Ukrainian made the difference with his powerful first returns in the first set. He captured 48 percent of the points on the first returns while, Volandri managed to grab just 22 percent of the first return points in the opening
set. The Italian converted one of the two break points on Dolgopolov’s serve but failed to save two of the seven break points on his own serve in the first set.
In the second set, Dolgopolov broke Volandri in the fourth game and held his serve in the next game to blaze to a 4-1 lead. The Italian broke back in the seventh game to reduce his opponent’s lead to 4-3. However, the 29-year-old’s
success did not last for long as Dolgopolov clinched two successive games to win the second set 6-3.
The Ukrainian improved his serve as compared to the opening set, hitting 54 percent of the first serves and bagging 71 percent of the points on them in the second set. In comparison, Volandri kept his first serve percentage at
79 percent and won 63 percent of the points on them. Dolgopolov capitalized on two of the five break point opportunities he created on Volandri’s serve in the second set.
The 5-ft 11-in tall is drawn to meet either world number 65 Pere Riba of Spain or French Guillaume Rufin, ranked 255th in the world, in the second round.
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