Igor Andreev rallies past Bernard Tomic into the second round – Winston-Salem Open 2011
World number 79 Igor Andreev of Russia fought back after losing the first set to overcome Australian Bernard Tomic, ranked 62nd in the world, in three sets 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in the first round at the Winston-Salem Open
in North Carolina, USA on Sunday. The Russian took two hours and five minutes to oust his opponent in a tough contest.
Andreev and the Australian failed to break each other’s serve throughout the opening set and squared off the score at 6-6, forcing a tie-break. Tomic hit a back-hand winner to capture a late mini-break in the tie-break and capitalised
on it to win 7-5.
The six feet and four inches tall delivered two aces and captured a whopping 19 of the 23 points on the first serve in the first set. The Australian was better than his opponent in all departments of the game as he won nine of
the thirteen second service points and seven of the 30 first return points. In comparison, Andreev managed to clinch just seven of the fourteen second service points and four of the 23 first return points in the opening set.
The Russian bounced back in the second set, breaking Tomic in the fourth game and winning his next service game to bag a 4-1 lead. Andreev maintained his lead till the end of the set as he won all of his service games, sealing
the set 6-3.
The right-handed delivered just 44 percent of the first serves but converted sixteen of the twenty of them into points and delivered three aces on them in the second set. The Russian amazingly saved all the eight break points he
faced and capitalised on one of the three break point opportunities he created on Tomic’s serve in the second set.
Andreev carried the winning momentum into the second set and claimed lead straightaway, breaking the Australian in the opening game and holding his serve in the next game to go ahead 2-0. The Russian did not allow Tomic to break
back throughout the final set, serving it out at 5-4.
The 28-year-old served superbly, smashing six aces and clinching an incredible thirteen of the fourteen first service points in the third set. The Russian also won seven of the nine second service points and converted one of the
two break points he received on the Australian’s serve in the deciding set.
Andreev is drawn to play world number 17 Jurgen Melzer of Austria in the second round. Melzer, seeded second at the event, received a bye in the opening round.
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