Ebden/Harrison knock out Karlovic/Moser to reach title match – Hall of Fame Championships 2011
Australian/American pair of Matthew Ebden and Ryan Harrison dismissed Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Frank Moser of Germany in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-finals at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport
on Friday. They needed an hour and seventeen minutes to overpower their opponents.
Ebden and Harrison made a strong start as they broke the Croatian/German pair in the second game and consolidated on it to grab a 3-0 lead. Karlovic and Moser broke back in the fifth game to reduce the trail to 2-3 but they were
broken again in the sixth game to go down 2-4. The Australian/American team did not allow their opponents to bounce back this time, serving out the set at 5-3.
The wild card entrants served two aces and the same number of double faults in the first set. Ebden and Harrison kept their first serve percentage at 56 percent and converted 67 percent of the first serves into points. On the other
hand, big serving Karlovic and Moser had a disappointing time while serving as they were unable to deliver any ace and hit a horrible five double faults in the opening set. The Croatian/German combination delivered just 46 percent of the first serves in the
first set. The unseeded team failed to save two of the four break points they faced and converted one of the two break points on Ebden and Harrison’s serve in the opening set.
Karlovic/Moser and the Australian/American team held their serve in the first eight games of the second set to square off the score at 4-4. Ebden and Harrison broke the Croatian/German duo in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead.
Serving for the match, the Australian/American combination failed to hold their serve and equalised the score at 5-5. Ebden and Harrison broke their opponents again in the eleventh game and this time they succeeded in consolidating on the break of serve, winning
the set 7-5.
The Australian/American pair hit 56 percent of the first serves and a single ace in the second set. Ebden and Harrison won fourteen of the eighteen first service points and nine of the fourteen second service points in the second
set. In comparison, Karlovic and Moser fired 63 percent of the first serves and three aces. Ebden and Harrison capitalised on two of the seven break point opportunities they received and managed to save only one of the two break points on their own serve in
the second set.
The right-handers will face either Swedish/Canadian pair of Johan Brunstrom and Adil Shamasdin or Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa of Brazil in the final.
Tags: