Bastian Knittel outruns Jan Hernych in the final qualifier – Hamburg Open 2011
As the 1,000,000 prize money makes the players fight to death, the International German Open 2011 got as exciting as ever as another home player Bastian Knittel made it into the main draw after doing away with Czech international
Jan Hernych in the final qualifier round. The Rothenbaum Tennis Centre had proved to be one h**l of a spectacle of tennis as both players gave their best to win their first ever head-to-head fixture.
Bastian, currently at world No.187, played in the Mercedes Cup but failed to get through the first round as he was knocked out by the winner J. Ferrero. Out of the last 10 matches, Bastian has won only 5 including this fixture.
Most of the last 10 matches he played were on clay courts. Considering this, he had a great chance to improve his game against the Czech international.
Jan Hernych, however, is one of the oldest players in the event. Aged 32, the Czech had a better view of the German trough. Playing his last 10 matches in Germany, Hernych succeeded in winning 6 and lost 4. The right hander’ ranks
at world No.219 with a career high at world No.59.
Serving for the first game of the match, Knittel opened up the score board 1-0. Serving second, Hernych levelled up the scores to 1-1 following with a breakpoint win to make it 2-1. The 32 year old won the next two games including
his second breakpoint win to lead the set 4-1. The lead was far too much for the German to get to and finally lost the set 2-6 to the Czech.
Knittel came up strong in the second set as he blistered the Czech in no time. Opening the set, Knittel immediately took the first game1-0. The German international bombed the next 4 games including 2 breakpoints to take an amazing
5-0 lead. Hernych did manage to win a game but that was just it. Bastian took the final game of the set 6-1 to level the set scores to 1-1.
The decider set was not much of a decider. Knittel was merely on fire. Beating the Czech in the last set was more of a perfect kill. The German astonishingly won all games, ending the set and the match 2-6, 6-1 and 6-0 in no time.
Knittel eased his victory with 73 points including 43 service and 30 return points to make it into the main draw.
The German is will be trying his luck for the second time in the 1st round of the International German Open against the Croatian Ivan Dodig.
Tags: