American James Blake moves to second round of 2011 BNP Paribas Open
World number 158 James Blake of the US defeated world number 272 Chris Guccione of Australia in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round at the BNP Paribas Open on Friday. It took the American an hour and 35 minutes to seal the victory.
Blake did not have a good start to the match as he lost the opening set 3-6. Blake hit 46 percent of the first serves, winning 82 percent of the points on them. His opponent served very well in the opening set, hitting 11 aces and winning 89 percent of the
points on his first serve.
After losing the first set to his lower ranked opponent, the American fought back in the second set, breaking Guccione in the eighth game. Blake won the second set 6-3.
The 31-year-old hit four aces and a single-double fault in the second set. In comparison, his opponent hit three aces and the same number of double faults. Blake converted one of the three break points he received in the second set. He did not face a single
breakpoint.
The American did not look back after winning the second set, playing remarkable game in the third set. The final set turned out to be a one-sided affair as Blake broke the Australian twice in the set, winning it 6-2.
Blake fired in two aces and 58 percent of the first serves in the final set. However, Guccione was better than Blake in this department of the game as he hit five aces and took 70 percent of the first serves. The Australian saved one of the three breakpoints
he faced in the deciding set. He did not receive any breakpoint in the third set.
With this win, Blake improved his win/loss record to 4-3, this year. The American will face compatriot, world number eight Andy Roddick in the next round. This will be the 11th meeting between these two players. Roddick leads Blake 7-3 in the head-to-head
record. In their last meeting, the 28-year-old defeated Blake 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3) in the round of 32 at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships last year.
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