Chris Guccione scores big win against Alejandro Falla in 1st round – Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011
Australian qualifier Chris Guccione bagged an effective two set 7-6(3), 6-3 win over his Colombian opponent Alejandro Falla in an all important first round match for Guccione on Monday. The trio of Australian qualifiers proved
their mettle on the courts at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Washington D.C. by advancing to the next round of the tournament. Guccione is joined by compatriots Marinko Matosevic and Matthew Ebden, who had earlier booked their seats in the second round.
The former World No. 67 Guccione has fallen significantly on the rankings ladder and his performance this season has been far from satisfactory. He came into the tournament with a win-loss standing of 0-2 but showed exceptional
skill during the qualifiers in Washington to reach the main draws. The 26 year old Australian last played at the Legg Mason in 2009, when he lost his opening round match in the qualifiers against Oliver Marach.
Currently ranked at No. 96 Colombian Falla’s win loss mark stands at a decent 8-12. He clocked in his season’s best performance at Delray Beach, when he managed to qualify and reach the quarterfinals of the tournament before being
dismissed unceremoniously by top American Mardy Fish. Falla’s best performance at Washington came in 2008 where he reached the quarterfinals by surpassing Mardy Fish and Florent Serra, before being dismissed by German Tommy Haas. His performances since then
have been on an abysmal decline.
The 71 minutes match was the two players’ first meeting.
The first set of the exciting encounter proved to be hotly contested, with the contenders fighting till its very end. Both the players served spectacularly, with Guccione amassing an astounding 100% of his first serve points and
Falla followed close behind at 88%. The set had to be decided by a tie break, which saw the Aussie powering through by gaining 7 points easily and limiting his opponent to a meagre 3. Guccione breezed through the second set with his opponent only managing
to pose a minimum of hindrances. Falla was unable to save even one of the two breakpoints that he faced while Guccione saved all three of his. The eventual winner fired a massive volley 11 aces during the match and closed the second set with ease at 6-3.
Left hander Guccione is now set to take on thirteenth seed Kevin Anderson, from South Africa in their second round match at the tournament. Anderson had earlier received a bye to the round of 32.
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