Andre Begemann upsets Eric Prodon in 2nd round – Quito Challenger 2011
German Andre Begemann battled past top seeded Frenchman Eric Prodon into the final eight of the 2011 Quito Challenger in Ecuador on Thursday, 20th October. The lower ranked German secured a straight, though not so simple,
sets victory over the Frenchman in ninety seven minutes. Begemann survived two tiebreakers to secure a 7-6(5), 7-6(7) victory and a berth in the final eight of the event.
Despite being ranked outside the top 250, Begemann came into the match with a statistical edge of leading the head-to-head score 1-0. The pair had last met in 2010 at the Cairo Challenger with the German emerging as the victor.
Maintaining his winning streak, the German has once more secured a win over the higher ranked Frenchman.
The first set started on an even footing as the pair successfully held onto their serves. Standing at 2-1, Begemann broke his opponent to go 3-1 in the score. However, the German’s one break lead was short-lived. Breaking back
the German in the seventh game, Prodon was able to reduce the deficit to 3-4 before bringing the set score to even terms on his service in the eighth game. From there on the set progressed on even terms as the two successfully held onto their serves, eventually
forcing the set into a tiebreaker.
The neck-to-neck run between the two continued into the tiebreaker for the first six points. Kicking into high gear, Begemann reeled off three straight points to go 6-3 in the lead. Although Prodon managed to win two more points,
it wasn’t enough as Begemann served out the tiebreaker to clinch a 7-5 victory.
Hitting less aces and a lower winning percentage than Prodon, Begemann only managed to go one up in the set score clinching four more points than his opponent.
The second set followed almost the same suit as the second one. Neither player managed to break their opponent keeping the scoreboard ticking on even terms. The tooth and nail battle for an edge eventually forced the set into the
second tiebreaker of the match. This time around, Prodon took his score a notch higher. A toe to toe run kept the score levelled for the first fourteen points. It was only on the fifteenth that, Begemann capitalised on a lucky break to reel off two straight
points to clinch a 9-7 tiebreaker win, sealing his straight sets victory.
Begemann now moves on ahead to play sixth seeded Facundo Bagnis in the quarterfinal round of the event.
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