Andrey Golubev rallies past Maximo Gonzalez into the second round – Winston-Salem Open 2011
Kazakh Andrey Golubev, ranked 97th in the world, overcame world number 105 Maximo Gozalez of Argentina in three sets 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round at the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina, USA on Monday. The match
lasted for an hour and 57 minutes.
Golubev took the lead straightaway as he broke the Argentinean in the opening game of the first set and won his next service game to build a 2-0 lead. Gonzalez broke back in the fourth game, equalising the score at 2-2. After
that, it was all Golubev show as the Kazakh grabbed six games in a row, breaking the Argentinean in the fifth and seventh game and winning both of his service games to grab the set 6-2.
The Kazakh hit 47 percent of the first serves, hitting three aces and a single ace in the opening set. The Bra, Italy resident captured eight of the nine points on the first serve and five of the ten points on the second serve
in the first set. Golubev bombarded his opponent with his aggressive returns, claiming an incredible ten of the fifteen first return points in the opening set.
The 24-year-old was looking to finish the match quickly as he broke Gonzalez in the fifth game and consolidated on it to go ahead 4-2. However, the Argentinean fought back, breaking Golubev in the eighth game to tie the score at
4-4. Gonzalez broke the Kazakh again in the tenth game to seal the set 6-4.
The Argentinean kept his first serve percentage at 66 percent, winning 24 of the 38 first service points and nine of the 20 second service points in the second set. The Tandil resident did well to save nine of the ten break points
he faced and converted both break points he received on Golubev’s serve in the second set.
In a similar fashion to the opening set, Golubev broke the Argentinean in the first game of the third set and held his serve in the next game, racing to a 2-0 lead. Gonzalez broke back in the fourth game to tie the score at 2-2.
The Kazakh grabbed a break of serve again in the ninth game and capitalised on it to capture the set 6-4.
The six feet and one inch tall smacked three aces and capitalised on two of the four break point opportunities he created on the Argentinean’s serve in the final set.
Golubev is slated to take on ninth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine in the round of 16.
Tags: