Janko Tipsarevic downs David Nalbandian in the opening round – Wimbledon Championships 2012
In a much anticipated first round encounter, Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic brushed aside the challenge of former world number three, David Nalbandian of Argentina, at the Wimbledon Championships on Monday. Tipsarevic took two hours
and 28 minutes to beat the Argentinean in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 at the grass courts of the All England Club.
Nalbandian, who was fresh from his default for hitting a line judge at the AEGON Championships, looked enraged by the decision of the match officials. He had a problem with over ruling of calls by the chair umpire, saying that
it could be done in a better manner with the help of available technology.
The Argentinean said, while talking to the reporters after the match, "They never do mistakes at 15-all. All mistakes are in the deuce, the break points, very important moments. I don't know why. Now technology helps everybody
when it's a very tight call, and still we're having tricky points."
He added, "They have to be very sure, 100 per cent. If they are not, let the players do a challenge. Pretty much they do it like this at the moment. Nobody gets involved, really involved, in the point as many as before. So I don't
know why the rush to call at an important moment."
Coming back to the proceedings of the match, Nalbandian and Tipsarevic held their serves in the opening four games to level the score at 4-4. The Serbian snatched a break in the ninth and served it out at 5-4.
In the second set, both players broke each other once and took the score to 6-6, forcing a tie-breaker. Tipsarevic hit a couple of forehand winners to grab an early lead and capitalised on it to win 7-6(4).
Tipsarevic and Nalbandian played cautiously in the final set, as they hit very few winners and unforced errors. However, it was the Serbian who sealed the show, claiming six of the eight games and capturing it 6-2.
Both players committed three double faults but Tipsarevic fired 18 aces compared to 10 by his Argentinean opponent. The Serbian gave a satisfactory performance at the net, as he won 16 of the 24 points with the help of volleys.
The right-hander saved eight of the nine break points he faced and converted four of the nine he received in the match.
Tipsarevic is drawn to face 130th ranked, Ryan Sweeting of USA, in the round of 64.
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