Bemelmans/Malisse upsets Delgado/Skupski to lift the crown – Farmers Classic 2012
Belgian tandem, Ruben Bemelmans and Xavier Malisse, rallied past the third seeded Britons, Jamie Delgado and Ken Skupski, in a three-set thriller at the Farmers Classic 2012 on Sunday. They penned down a 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-7 victory against their seeded rivals
to lift the title at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 series event taking place in the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, United States.
The underdogs required three sets to stun the Britons in almost one and a half hour-long marathon. Battling each other for the first time, Bemelmans and Malisse captured their first title together at this Emirates Airline US Open Series event taking place
from 23rd to 29th July. Malisse was the defending champion at this outdoor hard court event.
“I think we played well,” said Malisse in a courtside interview after stealing the limelight. “We served really well. I think we never got into big trouble on our serves. I didn’t put many returns in play today, but Ruben played well and had great shots
on the important points.”
Bemelmans and Malisse entered the Los Angeles Tennis Center with poise. They quickly swiped their entire serves without encountering any barrier. Regardless of squandering both break chances, the Belgians dominated in the tie-breaker and eventually pulled
out the opener with a 7-6(5) win.
The seeded Britons on the other side of net rebounded in the second set. They smoothly held their entire serves after brushing off the lone breakpoint they came across and cashed in the only break chance in the seventh game, eventually sealing the equaliser
by winning six games to four.
Ranked 51st in the WTA Premier Doubles Rankings, Bemelmans and Malisse re-gained their strength in the final set. They edged past the seeds in the super tie-breaker and consequently clinched the decider with a 10-7 score line.
All in all, the high flying Belgians displayed tremendous co-ordination throughout the match. They manifested a better first serve share of 68 per cent as opposed to their rivals’ 61 per cent and brilliantly marked 40 out of 50 points on it. They also hammered
eight aces and sealed the deal with 77 points.
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