Jarkko Nieminen blocks Robin Haase in opening round match – Erste Bank Open 2011
Jarkko Nieminen, Finn world No.62, surpassed higher ranked Dutch, Robin Haase, world No.40, in the opening round of Erste Bank Open 2011 on Wednesday, 26th October at Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna on indoor hard courts.
Battling out for an hour and 24 minutes the 30-year-old veteran Finn blazed out his rival winning 7-6(3), 6-4 and made his way into stage 2 of the event.
Firing up with the match opener, Nieminen blazed away with his first serve of the match rolling down the score card, 1-0. Following up with a level up, Haase bagged his first serve, 1-1, and switched the serve back. Prior to this
match, the two had played in the 2nd round of the Bangkok Open as well where Nieminen edged past the Dutch.
The two levelled up again, 2-2, as the higher ranked, world No.40, came forth with a better strategy to counter the mighty Finn. Unable to break each other, both then levelled up at 3-3, 4-4 and on 5-5 before the set went into
a tiebreaker with Haase storming game 12, 6-6, with a triple game point
Nieminen served first for the tiebreaker winning the first point, 1-0, followed by the Dutch levelling up, 1-1. Battling hard, the two levelled up again at 3-3 before world No.62 pulled off with 4 consecutive point to finish off
the tiebreaker, 7-3, and the set, 7-6(3) to lead the fixture, 1-0.
Down in the first set, Haase tried his luck in set two, however, Nieminen was much stronger this time again. Serving out the second set opener, Haase took the lead, 1-0, nevertheless, the Finn levelled up right away, 1-1, and switch
back the serve.
Winning games on respective serves, the two competitors levelled up again at 2-2 before the Dutch was brought down again. Breaking Haase in game 5, the veteran Finn once again capitalized and took control. Extending his lead closer
to his win, Nieminen worked out game 6, 4-2, and was left with just 2 more wins to secure his match victory.
Although Haase cut down the lead to 5-4, yet could not finish off winning. Saving a breakpoint Nieminen once again edged past the higher ranked Dutch to end the set winning, 6-4, and the match in straight sets for the second time
this year.
Through to the second round, Nieminen will now play the top seed in Erste Bank Open 2011, French world No.9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, to clash out for the quarter-final seat.
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