Benjamin Becker edges past Lukasz Kubot to reach semis – Regions Morgan Keegan Championships 2012
German rising star, Benjamin Becker, tumbled over the Polish ace Lukasz Kubot in straight sets at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships 2012 on Friday. He penned down a 7-5, 7-6(5) score line against the world number 54 to reach the final four at this
hard court tournament held in Memphis, United States.
The 30-year-old brushed off late resistance to overpower the Pole in their first tour-level meeting at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 series event. He not only took lead in the head-to-head series by 1-0 against Kubot but also
inched closer to lift his second ATP career title.
Ranked 284th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Becker confidently entered the Racquet Club of Memphis and held his serve in the second game to level the scores at 1-1. He showed tremendous defensive skills and easily kept remaining
serves. The German got the breakthrough in the eleventh game and pocketed the opener by winning seven games to five.
The Merzig native kept his rhythm in the following set and earned the coveted break in the opening game.
Kubot on the other end re-ignited his spark after the fourth game. He went on a four games rampage and extended his lead by 5-3.
The former world number 38, Becker was on verge of losing the set. However, he quickly counter-attacked in the ninth game and held his remaining serves, subsequently enforcing a tie-breaker. The German was trailing 1-4 in it but he bounced back to pull out
the set with a 7-6(5) victory.
The German is in awesome run of form at this US$757,000 ATP event. He crushed Israel’s Dudi Sela with a breadstick and the Belgian contender, Xavier Malisse, in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals.
Next challenge for Becker is the fourth seeded Milos Raonic. The booming star dumped the Belgian veteran in straight sets to secure this spot. Raonic broke his opponent’s serve twice and hammered 26 aces to clobber a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory. He produced a better
first serve share and impressively clicked 32 out of 43 points on it.
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