Baghdatis/Russell, Knowles/Malisse win their opening round matches – Farmers Classic 2011
Baghdatis/Russell down Semenzato/Torres 6-0, 7-6(5)
Cypriot/American pair of Marcos Baghdatis and Michael Russell outplayed Bruno Semenzato and Marcio Torres of Brazil in straight sets 6-0, 7-6(5) in the first round at the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The match lasted
for an hour and twelve minutes.
Baghdatis and Russell bulldozed their opponents in the first set as they did not drop even a single game, breaking the Brazilians three times to claim a bagel set 6-0. The Cypriot/American team bagged 78 percent of the first service
points and 71 percent of the second service points in the first set. Baghdatis and Russell saved all the three break points they faced and succeeded in converting all the three break points they faced on the Brazilian pair’s serve in the opening set.
After bashing their opponents in the first set, the Cypriot/American duo faced some tough resistance in the second set. Baghdatis/Russell and the Brazilian pair exchanged one break of serve in the first twelve games to square off
the score at 6-6, forcing a tie-break. The Cypriot/American combination captured a single mini-break in the tie-break and sealed it 7-5.
Baghdatis and Russell will play Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel in the quarterfinals.
Knowles/Malisse beat Fleming/Hutchins 6-1, 6-4
Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Xavier Malisse of Belgium knocked out Brits Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 to sail into the second round. The Bahamian/Belgian pair took an hour and three minutes to outclass
their opponents.
Knowles and Malisse crushed the British duo in the first set, breaking them twice and dropping only one game to capture the set 6-1. The Bahamian/Belgian team kept their first serve percentage at 64 percent and converted 71 percent
of the first deliveries into points. The third seeds utilised two of the three break chances they received on Fleming and Hutchins’ serve and saved the two break points they faced on their own serve in the first set.
The Bahamian/Belgian team and Fleming/Hutchins held their serve in the first eight games of the second set, equalising the score at 4-4. Knowles and Malisse made the breakthrough in the ninth game and capitalised on it to seal
the set 6-4. The Bahamian/Belgian combination bombarded their opponents with two aces and 53 percent of the first serves, sealing 81 percent of the points on them.
Knowles and Malisse are slated to take on Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil and Alejandro Falla of Colombia in the second round.
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