David Nalbandian outplays Viktor Troicki in 1st rubber – Davis Cup 2011 WG Semi-final: ARG vs SRB
A tremendous start for Team Argentina in the semi-final of the Davis Cup World Group, as the former world number three, David Nalbandian, outplayed the reigning world number 16, Viktor Troicki, in the opening singles rubber on Friday night.
The contest was staged on the indoor hard courts of Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia, with Troicki failing to live up to the expectations of the enthusiastic local crowd. Nalbandian took two hours and fifty two minutes to dispose of the home favourite in four sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to get his side 1-0 early in the competition.
Nalbandian was to take on the world number one, Novak Djokovic, in the opening rubber but the top ranked Serb withdrew from the contest with a lower back and rib injury prior to the matchup. Troicki was then forced to play against the aggressive Argentine but he failed to fill in for Djokovic and give an early breakthrough to the Argentine side.
Troicki dropped the opening set to fall back on the back foot right from the beginning but recovered skilfully in the next set to get back in business. His momentum was broken in the third set again, with Nalbandian forcing his way right back in the game and then finished off his demolition job in the fourth set to conclude a vital victory.
The Argentine 74th ranked Argentine registered his 17th victory of the running ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season and the second consecutive one against Troicki in singles encounters. He defeated the Serb in their last meeting at Miami Masters in 2010 and his Friday’s win over Troicki extended his all-time head-to-head lead against him by 4-1.
Nalbandian banged 73 per cent of his serve on target and breaking the Serb opponent on six out of nine times in the match. He coughed 19 unforced errors in the contest, including seven double faults but compensated for them very well by reeling off 56 out of 73 first serve points to come out as the winner in the end.
Troicki had 12 break opportunities in the matchup but cashed in just three of them to finish on the losing side, letting Team Argentina a 1-0 lead in the competition. The other Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro, also won his singles rubber against Janko Tipsarevic to consolidate his side’s lead by 2-0 and Team Argentina now requires just one more win to make it to the final of the Davis Cup.
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