Attila Balazs surprises Potito Starace in the second round clash – BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy 2012
Upsets kept coming on Wednesday at the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, as the world number 76, Potito Starace lost to the 450th ranked Hungarian qualifier, Attila Balazs, in the second round draw. The 23-year-old hunted down
superior-ranked Starace in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the quarter-finals in Bucharest, Romania.
Starace posed a solid performance in the opening round of the tournament, stunning the number nine seed Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy, 6-3, 6-0 but couldn’t replicate his magic against the Hungarian youngster. He hung in the contest
for one hour and 16 minutes but was outsmarted in the second set to end his voyage at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 event.
It was a fairly one-sided contest, with Balazs dominating for most of the time and cruising through the both sets comprehensively. The Hungarian qualifier kept the games short and professional, winning crucial points on regular
occasions to sustain his lead in the contest. His aggressive game play stunned Starace, who was facing Balazs for the first time in his professional career. The Italian veteran kept spilling out unnecessary faults throughout the competition, making it easier
for his underdog opponent to take advantage.
Balazs delivered 62 per cent of his first serve on target and earned 29 out of 41 points on it to come out victorious. He broke the Italian serve three out of four times, while Starace squandered six of his seven break points to
finish on the losing side in the end. The 30-year-old had his chances in the match but his error-ridden game play didn’t allow him to come on top of his opponent.
The opening set witnessed one break point, which came from the Hungarian in the fourth game and he took momentum from his breakthrough to seal the first set at 6-3. A more competitive second set was seen between the two players
and three consecutive serve breaks were registered right away. Two break points from Balazs against one from Starace put the Hungarian in the driving seat once again and he cruised to victory at 6-4.
Belgium’s Xavier Malisse, who surprised the defending champion Florian Mayer in round two, will face Balazs in the quarter-final brawl.
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