Antonio Veic upsets Andrey Kuznetsov to enter semis – I Marbella Open 2012
Croatian rising star, Antonio Veic, stunned second seed, Andrey Kuznetsov from Russia, in a three-set thriller at the I Marbella Open 2012 on Friday. He summed up a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2) victory against the world number 79 to power into the semi-finals at this
ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour event taking place in Marbella, Spain.
Seeded seventh in this event, Veic showed his class to outsmart Kuznetsov in their second challenger meeting. After bagging this match in two hours and 32 minutes, the Croat not only avenged his loss at the Poznan Challenger two years ago but also secured
a place in the final four.
The Croatian seed made quick in-roads at this clay court tournament. He drew the first blood in the second game and breezed to a 3-0 lead. Veic maintained consistency in his game and held his remaining serves with poise, eventually sealing the opener by
winning six games to three. He dusted away the only breakpoint he came across and converted one out of two break chances to his advantage.
The 21-year-old rebounded in the following set. He smoothly pocketed his entire serves and after getting the breakthrough in the sixth game, Kuznetsov pulled out the equaliser with a 6-3 score line. He dusted away all three breakpoints he came across to
keep his entire serves and availed one out of two break chances to get back in contention.
Ranked 142nd in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Veic found his rhythm again in the final set. He got the desiderated break in the second game and leaped to a 3-0 lead. Apart from losing his edge in the fifth game, the Croat
capitalised on another break chance in the eighth game and took a 5-3 lead. However, he not only squandered his chance of serving out the final set but lost his serve again to trail at 5-6. Veic remained focused and not only recovered in the very next game
but dominated in the tie-breaker, eventually clinching the decider with a 7-6(2) score line.
Veic will square off against sixth seeded local star, Albert Montanes, in the final four.
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