Andreas Seppi prevails over Pere Riba in the second round – Bet-At-Home Cup 2011
Sixth seed Andreas Seppi of Italy outplayed world number 77 Pere Riba of Spain in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the Bet-At-Home Cup in Kitzbuhel on Wednesday. The Spaniard took an hour and 31 minutes to seal the
match.
At the start of the match, it was looking like Riba will clinch the match easily as he broke the Italian in the second and fourth game, racing to a 4-0 lead. However, Seppi made a great comeback and grabbed seven of the next eight
games, breaking the Spaniard three times to win the set 7-5.
The Italian delivered 68 percent f the first serves and five aces in the first set. Seppi won the same percentage of first service points. The 27-year-old saved two of the four break points he faced and converted three of the five
break points he received on Riba’s serve in the opening set.
Seppi carried the winning momentum into the second set, breaking the Spaniard in the third game and holding his serve in the next game to go ahead 3-1. Riba came back, breaking the Italian in the sixth game to square off the score
at 3-3. Seppi broke again in the ninth game and capitalised on it, claiming the set 6-4.
The Italian was lucky to clinch the set despite serving poorly. He committed a couple of double faults and delivered a meagre 39 percent of the first serves in the second set. The right-handed captured 73 percent of the first service
and 31 percent of the first return points in the second set.
Seppi is featuring in Kitzbuhel for the sixth time in his career. The Italian was ousted by Frenchman Olivier Mutis is straight sets 3-6, 4-6 in the first round in his debut appearance here in 2003. He went one step further in
2004, losing to the then world number 8 Rainer Schuettler in three sets 6-3, 6-7(13), 0-6 in the round of 32. Seppi was thrashed by Fernando Verdasco in straight sets 2-6, 4-6 in the round of 64 in 2005. The Italian once again lost his first match here in
2006. After receiving a bye in the first round, he was upset by Edgardo Massa of Argentina 6-7(5), 6-7(5) in the second round. Seppi gave his best performance when he featured here for the last time. The Italian reached the quarterfinals, losing to compatriot
Potito Starace 6-1, 5-7, 6-7(7) in 2007.
The Caldaro resident is drawn to face either Robin Haase of the Netherlands or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the quarterfinals.
Tags: