Dmitry Tursunov knocks out Nicolas Mahut; advances to last eight – UNICEF Open 2011
Former world number twenty, Russian Dmitry Tursunov rallied past a former world number forty, French Nicolas Mahut in a three set thriller at UNICEF Open 2011, a warm-up for Wimbledon. He registered a 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3 victory over
29-year-old Frenchman to advance into the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
This was the first time the stars met each other after Tursunov won against the Frenchman in a five set mouth watering match at Wimbledon 2008. Both players displayed awe-inspiring skills here at s-Hertogenbosch but the Russian
edged over Mahut by converting only two out of nine breakpoint opportunities to his advantage. As a result, 28-year-old extended his lead in the head-to-head series against the Frenchman by 2-0.
Both veterans put a solid display of tennis in the opening set. Mahut stormed into the court and got the coveted break in the very first game.
Tursunov roared back by breaking the Frenchman’s serve in the following game. They maintained consistency in their level of game and after smashing several aces to keep their remaining serves, the tennis stars took the set to a
tie-breaker.
The Russian made Mahut moved all over the court to dominate in it and eventually clinched the opener with a 7-6(2) win.
Currently ranked at 99 in the South African Airways ATP World Tour rankings, Mahut found his winning ways back in the second set and held his serves in the first game convincingly. Later he confidently held his remaining serves
and found the desiderated break in the eighth game to seal the equaliser by winning six games to three. The Frenchman produced a much better first serve share of 71 percent as compared to Russian’s 48 percent and registered an impressive 71 percent win on
it. In addition to this, he saved both breakpoints conceded and converted one out of three breakpoint opportunities to his advantage.
Tursunov, ranked twenty nine places above his rival, got back on track in the final set. He smoothly held his entire serves and earned a plausible 76 percent on his slightly higher first serve share. The Russian then wiped out
the Mahut by converting a breakpoint chance in the eighth game to eventually bag the decider with a 6-3 win. He saved all three breakpoints conceded and converted one out of five breakpoint opportunities to his advantage. To spice the set further, he slammed
five aces and netted thirty-eight points to Mahut’s 30.
Up next for the Russian is Colombian Santiago Giraldo who downed German Michael Berrer in straight sets to advance in this ATP World Tour 250 series grass court event.
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