Feliciano Lopez ousts Sergiy Stakhovsky to advance to the quarter-finals – BMW Open 2012
Seeded second in the draw, Feliciano Lopez of Spain did not encounter much resistance in his second round match, as he outplayed Ukrainian contender, Sergiy Stakhovsky, in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4) to book his place in the last
eight at the BMW Open in Munich, Germany on Thursday.
Lopez and Stakhovsky held their serve in the first four games of the opener, taking the score to 2-2. The Spaniard struck in the fifth and consolidated on it to move ahead 4-2. Lopez made the most of single break, as he did not
lose his own serve and sealed it 6-4.
The Spaniard banged in a couple of aces and 73 percent of the first serves, converting 15 of the 24 of them into points. The left-hander won most of the points on his second deliveries and returns, capturing seven of the nine and
six of the 10 on them respectively. The Madrid, Spain resident evaded the only break threat he faced and availed one of the two of his own chances in the opener.
Both players failed to make any breakthrough throughout the second set, levelling the score at 6-6 and taking it to a tie-breaker. Lopez made an amazing start, as he won first six points consecutively to create six match points.
Stakhovsky tried his best to equalise the score, claiming four in a row to reduce the trail to 4-6. However, the Ukrainian could not save the fifth match point and lost it 6-7(4).
Lopez bombarded four aces and 62 percent of the first serves on his opponent in the second set. The Spaniard had an incredible conversion rate on the first deliveries, bagging 19 of the 21 on them. The 30-year-old neither faced
any break point nor did he receive. It took him just an hour and 26 minutes to close the match.
The Spaniard has reached his third quarter-final in the last four tournaments he has participated. The 6ft 2in tall advanced to the semi-finals at the US Men’s Clay Court Tennis Championships, losing to the then world number 10,
John Isner, in a three set thriller 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 3-6. In his latest tournament, he fell to compatriot, David Ferrer, 7-6(4), 6-7(7), 3-6 in the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell quarter-final.
Lopez will lock horns with fifth seed, Bernard Tomic, in the next round. The Australian defeated Potito Starace of Italy in three sets 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 in the second round.
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