Andrey Golubev topples Rik De Voest to reach the second round – BNP Paribas Open 2012
Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan prevailed over the South African, Rik De Voest, in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 in the first round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, USA on Thursday.
Golubev started firing from the start of the contest. He broke the South African in the second and fourth game, holding all of his serves and racing to a 5-0 lead. The Kazakh was unable to claim a bagel set but succeeded in clinching
it 6-1.
The 6ft 1in tall put in 71 per cent of the first serves and converted 12 of the 17 of them into points in the first set. Golubev send so powerful replies to his opponent’s second deliveries that the South African could win only
one of the seven points on them. Voest failed to capitalise on the one break chance he received and could not save two of the three he came across in the opener.
The South African got a better start in the second set as compared to the first. Both players held their serve in the first four games, taking the score to 2-2. Though, Golubev hit a forehand winner on the third break opportunity
in the fifth game to go ahead 3-2. Voest had one chance in the sixth to level the score but could not avail it. The Kazakh never game any other opportunity and served it out at 5-4.
Golubev delivered two aces and one double fault in the second set. The Kazakh gave a steady first serve performance, winning a whopping 17 of the 21 points on them. The 24-year-old continued to secure points on the second returns.
He grabbed six of the ten of them. The world number 145 upset Voest in just an hour and nine minutes.
The right-hander’s ranking had dropped drastically in the second half of last year. He achieved his highest position of 33 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings in October 2010 and remained in the top 50 till July 2011.
Golubev is drawn to meet world number one, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, in the round of 64. Djokovic received a bye in the first round.
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