Ivan Dodig battles past Jan Minar into the quarter-finals – ATP Roller Open 2012 CH
World number 110, Ivan Dodig of Croatia, bounced back after making a slow start to defeat the 315th ranked from Czech Republic, Jan Minar, in three sets 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(3) in the second round of the ATP Roller Open in
Petange, Luxembourg. The Croatian required two hours and 14 minutes to claim victory in a close contest.
Minar made the best possible start, as he broke the Croatian in the first and third game, consolidating on the double strike to race to a 4-0 lead. The Czech player did not allow Dodig to comeback and grabbed it 6-2.
The 31-year-old banged in a single ace and did not commit any double fault, keeping his first serve percentage at 64. Minar’s conversion rate was extraordinarily good, as he secured 10 of the 14 first and seven of the eight second
deliveries into points. The right-hander fared pretty badly on the replies to Dodig’s first serves, as he lost four of the 17 points on them but compensated that by winning 13 of the 17 second ones.
Dodig and Minar made a stable start in the second set, as they did not drop their serve in the first five games to take the score to 3-2 in the former’s favour. The Croatian struck twice after that to close it 6-2.
The 6ft tall smacked a couple of aces and put in 68 percent of the first serves, claiming all the 13 points on them. The Zagreb, Croatia resident also did a good job on the returns, as he pocketed nine of the 18 first and three
of the five second reply points. The right-hander did not provide any break chance to his opponent in the second set.
Dodig and Minar put on a superb serving display in the final set, as they did not allow each other to claim a single breakthrough till the end, equalling the score at 6-6 and taking it to a tie-breaker. They went neck to neck till
3-3 but then the Croatian captured four consecutive points to seal it 7-6(3).
The 27-year-old will meet the fourth seed, Tobias Kamke of Germany, in the quarters.
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