Cilic, Seppi, move in quarterfinals; Cermak/Polasek clinch last four spot – St. Petersburg Open 2011
On day four of the 2011 St. Petersburg Open, singles’ competitors moved into the quarterfinals while some had to bear the loss of leaving the competition.
In the men’s singles second round match, Marin Cilic (Croatia) defeated Somdev Devvarman (India), 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. The 22nd ranked Cilic was looking out of form when his 26-year old Indian opponent won seven sets in the first game,
with Croatian winning only five. However, the 23-year old Cilic made an impressive comeback when he won both the next two sets 6-1, 6-3. The Croatian delivered an astounding thirteen aces, giving him an edge in the match. The 84th ranked Indian, Gold Medallist
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, certainly overtaken by the agility shown by Cilic, had to face a defeat in the second round.
In another match, Andreas Seppi (Italy) scored a win against Igor Andreev (Russia), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. The Russian, ranked 117th in the world, did win the first set 6-3 but his 27-year old Italian opponent, who ranks 52nd in the world,
fought back in the next two sets. Seppi was able to save four break points out of six while the Russian could only save two of six. Seppi has now moved into the quarterfinals while Andreev has to wait another year to win a title on home ground.
Alex Bogomolov (USA) faced Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) in an evenly fought contest. Both the players were looking to make their place into the quarterfinals but it was the American who won the match 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. The 36th
ranked American lost the first set 6-4 but the German equalled it by winning the second set, 6-3. In the third set, the 28-year old Bogomolov saved three break points out of five, wining it 7-5.
Dusan Lajovic (Serbia) won his second match against Dudi Sela (Israel) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. The 26-year old Israeli player, ranked at 97th in the world, dominated the first set with a score of 6-2 and it looked as if Sela would make
it through to the quarterfinals. Later in the match, the Serbian player, currently ranking at 228th place made it difficult for the Israeli to excel, as Lajovic won the next two sets 6-2, 6-1 and qualified for the quarterfinals.
Potito Starace (Italy) had a comprehensive straight set win against local Dmitry Tursunov. The 53rd ranked Italian won the match 6-2, 6-4 as the 39th ranked Russian was unable to deliver on home soil. In the last match of the day
in the second round of men’s singles division, Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) won his match against Michael Berrer (Germany), 6-3, 2-0. The German was eyeing a win but his poor performance in the first set and later his injury forced him to quit the match, making
the 13th ranked Serbian gain the win and enter the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinals of the men’s doubles competition held on the fourth day of the event saw the team of Frantisek Cermak (Czech Republic) and Filip Polasek (Slovakia) defeat the Spanish team of Marcel Granollers and Pere Riba Madrid
in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.
In another quarterfinal match, the German team of Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske won their match against Michal Mertinak (Slovakia) and Mikhail Youzhny (Russia), 7-5, 6-2. The team of Mertinak and Youzhny had to keep pace
against the German duo, but in the end, the Germans succeeded in securing a place in the semi finals. In the last quarterfinal men’s double match, the Russian pair of Michail Elgin and Alexander Kudryavtsev won their match against the Italian team of Daniele
Bracciali and Potito Starace, 7-6 (4), 7-5.
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