Gilles Muller halts Paolo Lorenzi in the quarter-finals – Erste Bank Open 2012
Left-hander, Gilles Muller, successfully prevailed over the Italian veteran, Paolo Lorenzi, in the quarter-finals of the Erste Bank Open 2012 on Friday. He jolted down his straight sets 6-3, 6-4 triumph in nearly one hour and 15
minutes at the hard courts of Vienna, Austria.
The 29-year-old Luxembourgian professional commenced the opener with his classic performance and confidently held his serve. He nudged forward to draw the first blood and marked a 3-1 lead by the end of the fourth game. The Italian
senior was unable to respond with an equal pace and could not receive his desired comeback. Muller sustained his superior game plan, maintaining his consistency and stole the set with a 6-3 score line.
The world number 81, Muller, thundered five aces onto his opponent and had an average initial serve of 50 percent. Fortunately, he converted all the 12 first serve and eight of 12 second. On the other hand, the right-hander Italian
challenger manifested a relatively better first serve of 55 percent, pocketing away eight of 11 first and six of nine second delivery points.
In the second set, both participants held their serves with a strong resolve to clinch the win. Due to this, the score line levelled down three times but the two preserved their serves. The 29-year-old, Muller, made a dramatic
comeback back in the ninth game and cashed the only lone serve break bestowed on him. This completely shattered Lorenzi’s confidence and he was completely powerless, the Luxembourgian marched forward to terminate the set with a 6-4 win.
The 30-year-old, Lorenzi, attained a similar initial serve in the second set, with 11 of 15 first and seven of 12 second delivery points. He was unable to capitalize on even a single serve break and his contender snatch even the
single serve break opportunity presented to him. This time around, Muller fired five aces and 57 percent initial serve accuracy. He pocketed away 13 of 16 first and eight of 12 second serve points.
For the next round of the ATP World Tour 250 Event, Muller will battle against the top seeded Argentinean professional, Juan Martin Del Potro.
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