Cerretani/Marx overcome
Benneteau/Murray in the opening round – St. Petersburg Open 2011
Rated at number 35 in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Doubles Team Rankings, the team of James Cerretani of the United States and Philipp Marx of Germany registered a hard-fought victory against the duo of Julien
Benneteau of France and Jamie Murray of the Great Britain in the opening round of the St. Petersburg Open on Monday.
Being played on the indoor hard courts of the Petersburg Sport and Concert Complex in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the local crowd witnessed an enthralling game of doubles tennis. A dramatic turn around by the Cerretani and Marx was
seen in the game, as they recovered from one set down in the contest and went on to seal victory at 4-6, 6-3, 10-5, to make it in to the quarter-finals of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 event.
Benneteau and Murray were off to an excellent start in the matchup, pocketing the opening set with ease to get one up early. The unseeded duo of Cerretani and Marx gathered up pace in the following set and outplayed their opponents
to make their way back in the game. A super tie breaker was imposed in the contest and the pair of Cerretani and Marx continued with its winning impetus to turn the tables on Benneteau and Murray in the decider.
Cerretani and Marx delivered 67 per cent of their serve on target to earn 34 out of 41 first serve points in the matchup. Their opponent closely followed them with 28 points but their silly mistakes in the final set proved much
taxing for them in the end.
Benneteau and Murray drew first blood in the third game of the match, breaking the opponents' serve to lead 3-1 and then went on to serve out of the opener at 6-4. Tide turned in the flowing set when their opponents nailed their
only serve break in the fourth game to race away to 4-1. Benneteau and Murray failed to recover from the damage done by the break of serve and had to submit the second set their opponents at 3-6.
Cerretani and Marx gradually gathered their momentum in the later parts of the final set and rallied past Benneteau and Murray to seal victory at 10-5.
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