Daniel Gimeno-Traver outlasts Victor Hanescu in the opening round – Mutua Madrid Open 2012
Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver, who is ranked 137th in the world, was fully supported by his home crowd, as he upset the world number 103, Victor Hanescu of Romania, in three sets 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 in the first round at
the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain on Monday. It took the contestant two hours and 24 minutes to beat the Romanian in a tough contest.
Gimeno-Traver and his opponent did not lose their serves throughout the first set, levelling the score at 6-6 to take it to a tie-breaker. The Spanish player clinched a couple of mini-breaks to win it 7-6(3).
The 6ft 1in tall banged in a couple of aces and equal number of double faults in the opening set. Gimeno-Traver had a relatively low first serve percentage of 55 compared to 65 by his opponent but the Spaniard managed to grab 19
of the 24 points on them.
Hanescu, who was ranked 26th back in 2009, hit a blow to Gimeno-Traver early in the second set, breaking the Spaniard in the third game and holding his following serve to capture a 3-1 lead. The Romanian maintained his
advantage till the end, closing it 6-4.
The 30-year-old, Hanescu, bombarded Gimeno-Traver with four aces and 71 percent of the first serves, winning incredibly 18 of the 22 points on them. The Romanian claimed half of the points on the second returns, pocketing six of
the 12 of them. The 6ft and 6in tall did not face any break point and converted one of the two he received in the second set.
In the decider, Hanescu and Gimeno-Traver held their serve in the first seven games to take the score to 4-3 in the latter’s favour. The Spaniard struck decisively in the eighth and made the most of it to triumph 6-3.
Gimeno-Traver smacked a couple of aces and 61 percent of the first deliveries, converting 16 of the 20 of them into points in the final set. The Spaniard also performed above par on the second serves and returns, winning seven
of the 13 and four of the six points on them respectively. The right-hander evaded all the four break threats he came across and utilised one of the three opportunities he got.
The Spaniard faces a tough task ahead, as he will have to locks horns with top seed, Novak Djokovic, in the second round. The reigning world number one, Djokovic, received a bye in the opener.
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