Edouard Roger-Vasselin labours past Benjamin Becker to reach semis – Orange Open Guadeloupe 2012 CH
Fourth seed, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, required three sets to outmuscle the German star, Benjamin Becker, at the Orange Open Guadeloupe 2012 on Friday. He summed up a 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 score line against the world number 165 to advance into the semi-finals
at this hard court event taking place in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe.
Roger-Vasselin coughed several double faults and lost the opening set. However, he capitalised on his several break opportunities to edge past the German in two hours and 38 minutes. He carved out the victory for the first time in his third encounter against
Becker. The contestants previously met each other at the BNP Paribas Masters two years ago where the German registered a straight set victory against Roger-Vasselin.
The 30-year-old made quick in-roads at the Stade Lambert Lamby. He made a nervy start and fell 0-2 after gifting away his serve in the second game. However, Becker made an amazing reply as he went on a four-game rampage, eventually taking a 4-2 lead. He
then held his remaining serves and sealed the opener by winning six games to four.
89th ranked French carried his drastic ways in the following set. He suffered the first blow in the seventh game and consequently went 3-5 down. However, Roger-Vasselin stayed calm and recovered in the 10th game. He then held his serve
once more and enforced a tie-breaker. The French outshined Becker in it and clinched the equaliser with a 7-6(7) score line.
Roger-Vasselin lost his path again in the final set and after losing his serve in the eighth game, he trailing at 3-5. However, the French quickly counter-attacked as he not only snatched his break back but capitalised on another break chance in the eleventh
game to pull out the decider with a 7-5 win.
Next up for the French seed is the Belgian star, David Goffin, who crushed Japan’s Yuichi Sugita with a bagel to set-up this duel. The 21-year-old converted five out of 11 break chances to his advantage, ultimately registering a 6-0, 6-2 victory. He also
swiped in his entire serves and clobbered a higher first serve share to dominate throughout the match.
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