Andrey Golubev hammers down Yannick Mertens in the second qualifying round – Australian Open 2012
Kazakhstani contender, Andrey Golubev, ousted the Belgian age fellow, Yannick Mertens, in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 in the second qualifying round of the Australian Open. One-sided encounter didn’t last long and failed to live up
to the expectations of the viewers. Considerable crowd gathered in the sporting arena of Melbourne to witness these players taking on one another for the first time in their professional career.
The Kazakh competitor was in no mood to spare anything at all for his opponent as he wanted to round off the next round berth in quick succession. He kicked-off the proceedings with a successful serve game, followed up by some
jaw-dropping winners to break Mertens’s serve and take 2-0 lead; comprehensive performance in the next game with cracking serves earned him the 3-0 lead. Such an emphatic performance completely dismantled his opponent, who looked bobbed down by this initial
onslaught.
Mertens held his serve for the first time in the math in the fourth game in the hunt to decrease the trail. No mistake was made by the superior ranked contestant to hold on his serve as well as the scores pushed to 4-1 in his favour.
Next serve was again ousted by the Kazakh contestant as he smashed two straight winners coupled with one perfectly time and placed drop shot; serve break at that stage consolidated his position further as he prepared himself to serve for the last time in the
set.
The Belgian was clearly down and out; had no answers to an enthralling display of all round shots from his competitor. Second set started slowly as both players hung on to their respective serves; first six games passed by without
much drama and scores were pushed to 3-3. Golubev sighted an opportunity to have a go at his rival and started to advance towards the net after every return.
Mertens tried to counter this plot but failed to do so and lost the game on his serve. It was a crucial break for the Kazakh contestant as he pulled off another break serve in the ninth game to round off the set in grand fashion.
He plays the Thai competitor, Danai Udomchoke in the final qualifying round.
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