Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Ivan Dodig qualify for the second round of Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Daniel Gimeno-Traver defeats Potito Starace 4-6, 6-1, 2-0 Ret’d
World number 60 Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain advanced to the second round after his Italian opponent Potito Starace, ranked 43rd in the world, retired due to injury in the opening round match at the Barcelona Open Banc
Sabadell on Tuesday. The Spaniard was leading 4-6, 6-1, 2-0 when Starace decided to quit the match.
Starace needed a single break of serve to win the first set, claiming it 6-4. The Italian fired a single ace and 83 percent of the first serves in the opening set. He won 79 percent of the first service points in the opening set.
The 29-year-old capitalized on the only break point opportunity he received in the first set.
The Italian suffered an injury at the start of the second set and could not maintain his form after that. Gimeno-Traver broke Starace twice to win the second set 6-1.
The Spaniard delivered three aces and did not commit any double fault in the second set. The 25-year-old had a low first serve percentage as he hit just 39 percent of the first serves in the second set. However, Gimeno-Traver had
a remarkable first serve conversion percentage as he won amazingly 100 percent of the points on his first serves in the second set.
The Spaniard won two consecutive games at the start of the deciding set to take a 2-0 lead. At this moment, Starace decided to forfeit the match due to an injury. The match lasted for just one hour and 12 minutes.
Gimeno-Traver will take on world number one and King of Clay, Rafael Nadal in the second round.
Ivan Dodig ousts Vincent Millot 6-2, 6-3
In another first round match, Croatian Ivan Dodig, ranked 56th in the world, cruised past world number 150, qualifier Vincent Millot of France in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. The Croatian took just one hour and 25 minutes
to beat his opponent.
Dodig broke Millot three times in the opening set, clinching it 6-2. The Croatian kept his first serve percentage at 72 percent in the first set and converted 57 percent of his first serves into points. The 26-year-old won three
of the six break points he received in the opening set. Dodig did well to save four of the five break points he faced in the first set.
Continuing his dominance over his opponent, the Croatian broke Millot twice in the second set and won it 6-3. Dodig delivered 49 percent of the first serves in the second set, winning 65 percent of the points on them.
The right-handed is drawn to meet Swedish Robin Soderling, ranked fifth in the world, in the second round.
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