Amir Weintraub edges past Ivo Minar into second round – Salzburg Indoors 2011
Israeli Amir Weintraub dominated in the final set tie-breaker to earn a straight set victory over the Czech Ivo Minar at the Salzburg Indoors 2011, an ATP Challenger Tour event taking place at the Salzburg arena in Salzburg, Austria.
He registered a 6-3, 7-6(4) success over the 27-year-old Minar to book a second round spot on Monday.
World number 194 Weintraub ousted the Czech, ranked seven spots above him in the South African Airways ATP World Tour rankings, on their first face-to-face. After earning this victory from an hour and eleven minutes long marathon,
the Israeli confidently advanced into the second round.
Weintraub made quick in-roads after getting the first blood in the fourth game. He saved the only breakpoint faced and cashed in the only breakpoint opportunity to his advantage. The Israeli manifested a better first serve share
of 67 percent as compared to Minar’s 62 percent and registered a brilliant 77 percent win on it. He then out a cherry on the set by firing four aces from his arsenal of tricks.
25-year-old Weintraub got astray in the final set and after losing his opening serve, he went 3-0 down. However, the Israeli re-focused his strategy and held remaining serves through angled shots. In addition to this, he snatched
his break back in the ninth game and took the set to a tie-breaker. Weintraub prevailed in it to pocket the set with a 7-6(4) victory. He clobbered an equal first serve share of 73 percent and jolted down an impressive 76 percent win on it.
Weintraub had a monotonous season so far. He made quarter-final showing at Rimouski, Busan and Wuhai Challenger Tour events and reached the semis at Penza Challenger. He raised the bar of his game in late August when he made a
final berth at Bangkok Challenger Tour. However, the Israeli’s form dipped since and he was standing on a two match losing streak before entering this tournament.
Next up for the Israeli star is the top seeded Slovak Karol Beck.
Beck battled past German Dominik Meffert in a three setter nail biter match in two hours and forty-seven minutes. He saved half of the ten breakpoints came across and capitalised on half of the twelve breakpoint opportunities to
his advantage.
The seeded Slovak then fired nine ferocious aces and subsequently registered a 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-4 score line on their first meeting. In addition to this, Beck manipulated an amazing 71 percent win on their slightly lower first
serve share and comfortably advanced into the pre-quarter round.
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