Jan Hajek upsets Flavio Cipolla in the second round – BNP Paribas Polish Open 2011 CH
Unseeded, Czech Jan Hajek upset second seed Flavio Cipolla of Italy in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at the BNP Paribas Polish Open in Sopot, Poland on Thursday. The Czech needed just an hour and sixteen minutes to
overpower his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Hajek took an early lead, breaking the Italian in the third game and holding his next service game to grab a 3-1 lead. The Czech and Cipolla held their serve in the next four games and took the score to 5-3 in favour of the former.
Serving at 3-5, Cipolla was broken for the second time, losing the set 3-6.
Hajek fired 53 percent of the first serves and three aces in the first set. The Czech claimed 88 percent of the first service points and 64 percent of the second service points in the opening set. On the other hand, Cipolla hit
the same number of aces and had a higher first serve percentage, delivering 71 percent of the first serves in the first set. However, the Italian returned poorly as he won just two of the sixteen first return points compared to five out of fifteen by his opponent.
Hajek capitalised on the only break point opportunity he created and saved all the three break points on his own serve in the first set.
In a similar fashion to the first set, the Czech took the lead straightaway in the second set as he broke Cipolla in the first game and consolidated on it to take a 2-0 lead. Hajek broke again in the seventh game and served out
the set in the next game, clinching it 6-2.
The 27-year-old maintained his good service performance, firing three aces and 64 percent of the first serves in the second set. Hajek improved his returns as he grabbed 42 percent of the first return points in the second set.
The Czech won both break points he received on Cipolla’s serve in the second set.
Hajek has not won a tour level match so far this season. The Czech has a 0-10 win/loss record this year. However, the right-handed performed well in the last two challenger events he had played. He lost to compatriot Lukas Rosol
3-6, 1-6 in the semi-finals in the latest tournament he played in Braunschweig, Germany.
The Czech is slated to meet world number 95 Steve Darcis of Belgium in the last eight. The Belgian, seeded fifth at the event, thrashed world number 272 Marcin Gawron of Poland in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 in the second round.
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