Benjamin Becker outplays Charalampos Kapogiannis in the first round of the Status Athens Open
Results were hardly unexpected as the top seed Benjamin Becker of Germany defeated the Greek wildcard, Charalampos Kapogiannis in the opening round of the Status Athens Open at Athens, Greece on Tuesday. The world number 68 Becker
wrapped up his straight sets victory 7-6(1), 6-1, in just 80 minutes to qualify for the second round of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour event.
It was an interesting contest being played at Athens, which ended in dismay for the local crowd. Kapogiannis was the last of the Greek hopes and the fourth wildcard entrant who crashed out of the tournament. He had an excellent
start to the matchup and posed serious resistance to his German opponent in the first set but his game gradually faded in the later parts of the contest. Kapogiannis lost the opening set after a stiff competition in the tie breaker round but gifted away the
second set in just half an hour to remain on the losing end.
The 29-year-old German veteran used his tons of experience to overcome his opponent in the intense pressure situations of the opener and then wiped out Kapogiannis in the next set to advance to the second round of the tournament.
Becker’s serve in the contest lacked something to be desired but his overall brilliant performance was impressive.
Becker delivered 56 per cent of his first serve on target in the opener, as compared to the Greek’s 62 per cent serve. There was also less difference in the point winning proficiency of the two contestants and the return game.
Kapogiannis was the first one to strike a serve break in the third game and get the early advantage. The German replied with a break point two games later to nullify his opponent’s advantage.
The opening set kept moving on even terms and a tie breaker was enforced at 6-6, after the two men exchanged one more serve break each. Becker accelerated from there onwards to reel off six straight points to bag the first set
tie breaker at 7-6(1).
The local crowd anticipated a tough contest in the next set as well but Becker proved too good for the 21-year-old Greek. The German crafted eight opportunities to break serve in the second set and converted three of them to rocket
away to the match point at 5-1, without dropping his serve once. Becker sealed off the contest at 6-1 to have a second round berth at the Challenger Tour tournament.
The German books a date with the unseeded Frenchman, Stephane Robert, who defeated the other German, Dominik Meffert in the first round at Athens.
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