Edouard Roger-Vasselin edges Lukas Rosol in the first round – Winston-Salem Open 2011
Lucky loser Edouard Roger-Vasselin, ranked 107th in the world, survived the bashing in the second set to defeat world number 65 Lukas Rosol of Czech Republic in three sets 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-6(4) in the opening round at
the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina on Monday. The Frenchman needed two hours and nine minutes to clinch a tough encounter.
Roger-Vasselin drew the first blood as he broke the Czech in the opening game of the first set and won his next service game to build a 2-0 lead. Rosol claimed two straight games after that, breaking back in the fourth game to
equalise the score at 2-2. The French broke again in the ninth game but he failed to serve out the set, losing his serve in the next game and squaring off the score at 5-5. Roger-Vasselin and Rosol held their serve in the following two games to equalise the
score at 6-6. The 27-year-old played a superb volley to bag an early mini-break in the tie-break and capitalised on it to win 7-5.
The French gave a poor second serve performance as he hit three double faults and lost eight of the fourteen second service points in the first set. However, the right-handed managed to win twenty of the 31 first service points
and saved both break points he faced in the opening set.
Rosol fought back and took an early lead in the second set, breaking the French in the second and fourth game and holding his own service games to race to a 4-0 lead. The Czech consolidated on the double break of serve and served
out the set at 5-2.
The six feet and five inches tall fired six aces, delivering 65 percent of the first serves and converting the same percentage of them into points in the second set. Rosol returned well as he claimed five of the twelve first return
points and converted both break point opportunities he created on Roger-Vasselin’s serve in the second set.
Rosol carried the winning momentum into the deciding set as he broke the French in the third game and consolidated on it, taking a 3-1 lead. Roger-Vasselin broke back in the eighth game to levelled the score at 4-4. The French
and Rosol won their next four service games to force a tie-break. Roger-Vasselin played brilliantly in the tie-break, earning two mini-breaks and winning it 7-4.
The French will face top seed Andy Roddick of USA in the second round.
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