Filippo Volandri, Potito Starace reach second round of Grand Prix Hassan II
Filippo Volandri defeats Julien Benneteau 7-5, 6-3
World number 75 Filippo Volandri of Italy prevailed over world number 78 Julien Benneteau of France in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in the first round at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca on Tuesday. It took the Italian 1 hour and
39 minutes to beat his opponent.
Volandri and Benneteau broke each other on a number of occasions in the opening set. However, it was the Italian who claimed the decisive break of serve, breaking Benneteau in the 12th game to win the first set 7-5.
The 29-year-old hit 64 per cent of the first serves, winning 67 per cent of the points on them in the opening set. Benneteau saved four of the six break points he faced in the set. The Italian converted three of the eight break
points he received in the first set.
Volandri needed a single break of serve to win the second set 6-3. The Italian neither hit an ace nor any double fault in the second set. He kept his first serve percentage at 80 per cent and won the same percentage of points on
his first serve. Volandri did not face any break point in the second set.
The Italian will face world number 24 Albert Montanes of Spain in the second round. Montanes, seeded first at the event, received a bye in the opening round.
Potito Starace downs Daniel Brands 7-5, 6-2
Another Italian Potito Starace, ranked 47th in the world, defeated world number 85 Daniel Brands of Germany in straight sets 7-5, 6-2 in one hour and 15 minutes to advance to the second round.
The Italian broke his opponent in the 11th game of the first set, winning it 6-2. Starace fired in 83 per cent of the first serves and converted 88 per cent of them into points in the first set. On the other hand, Brands
hit 66 per cent of the first serves, winning 80 per cent of the points on them. The German saved four of the five break points he faced in the opening set.
Starace carried the winning momentum into the second set, breaking his opponent twice to win the set 6-2. The right-handed delivered a single ace in the second set. He hit 78 per cent of the first serves and won 72 per cent of
the points on them in the set. Starace capitalized on both break point opportunities he received in the second set.
The Italian is slated to meet Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain in the second round. Hidalgo beat Portuguese Rui Machado in straight sets 7-5, 6-1 in the first round.
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