Feliciano Lopez outlasts Ryan Harrison to reach round two – China Open 2012
Spanish contender, Feliciano Lopez, battled past the American starlet, Ryan Harrison, in a three-set thriller at the China Open 2012 on Tuesday. He summed up a 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-2 victory against the world number 54 to power into the second round at this ATP
(Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 Series event held in China.
The left-hander from Spain remained focused throughout the battle, eventually sealing the deal in two hours and 10 minutes. He lost his serve in the second last game and suffered a 5-7 shock in the second set. However, Lopez dominated in the final set and
trounced the 20-year-old in their first battle against each other.
Lopez made a powerful entry at the National Tennis Center. He drew the first blood in the third game and jumped to a 3-1 lead. Despite squandering his edge in the sixth game, the Spaniard prevailed in the tie-breaker and eventually sealed the opener with
a 7-6(3) win.
The Louisiana native Harrison bounced back in the proceeding set. He hammered angled shots and after blocking the lone breakpoint he faced, the American held his entire serves. He cashed in the only break opportunity in the second last game and pulled out
the equaliser with a 7-5 score line.
Ranked 30th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Lopez lifted his game in the end. After Harrison held his serve in the fourth game of the final set, the Spaniard stroke out the last four games in a row and clicked the decider
with a 6-2 win.
Lopez outshined his rival completely in this battle. He produced a better first serve share of 60 per cent as compared to his opponent’s 53 per cent and amazingly marked 46 out of 55 points on it. The Spaniard also sought eight break chances and ended the
match with 103 points.
Lopez will next face the Taiwanese contender, Yen-Hsun Lu, who recorded a 5-4 retirement victory against second seeded David Ferrer to set up this meeting. Lu prevailed in the 36-minute marathon before the world number five was forced to retire with a stomach
virus.
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