Bolelli/Fognini rally past Cilic/Zovko to grab title – Studena Croatia Open 2011
Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini of Italy grabbed their first team title as they overpowered home favourites Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko 6-3, 5-7, 10-7 in the final at the ATP Studena Croatia Open in Umag on Saturday. The match
lasted for an hour and 37 minutes.
Bolelli and Fognini came roaring into the match as they broke the Croats in the first and third game of the opening set and held both of their service games to race forward to a 4-0 lead. Cilic and Zovko pulled one break back and
held their next service game to reduce the deficit to 2-4. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, the Croatian team was broken again and lost the set 3-6.
The Italians kept their first serve percentage at 55 percent, claiming 73 percent of the first service points in the opening set. Bolelli and Fognini converted 73 percent of the first serves and 44 percent of the second serves
into points. The Italians capitalised on all the three break point opportunities they created and saved one of the two break points on their own serve in the first set.
Cilic and Zovko bounced back, breaking the Italians in the third game and consolidating on it to take a 3-1 lead. Bolelli and Fognini broke back in the sixth game to square off the score at 3-3. The Croats broke again in the eleventh
game and won their next service game to seal the set 7-5.
The unseeded team delivered 57 percent of the first serves and one ace in the second set. Cilic and Zovko made their opponents’ life difficult with their accurate returns as they claimed 41 percent of the total return points. The
Croatians won two of the seven break points they received on Bolelli and Fognini’s serve and did well to save nine of the ten break points on their own serve in the second set.
Bolelli and Fognini earned a late mini-break in the match tie-break and claimed last three points to win it 10-7.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Bolelli said, "I think me and Fabio played a very good tournament all week long. Every match was tough. The last three went to a match tie-break, so we are happy. This is my second title
this year and in my career. The doubles this year has given me a lot of confidence, even for the singles."
Bolelli captured his maiden ATP Doubles title at the BMW Open, partnering Horacio Zeballos in April this year.
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