Jeremy Chardy beats Bjorn Phau to advance to the second round of Grand Prix Hassan II
French Jeremy Chardy, ranked 51st in the world, prevailed over world number 112 Bjorn Phau of Germany in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 in the first round at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca on Monday.
Chardy took the lead from the start of the match as he broke Phau in the opening game of the first set and held his next service game to take a 2-0 lead. Both players held their serves in the next four games to take the score to 4-2. The Frenchman broke
again in the seventh game and then served out the first set at 5-2.
Chardy fired in a couple of aces and committed the same number of double faults in the opening set. The French delivered 53 per cent of the first serves and converted 82 per cent of them into points in the first set. Chardy received six break points and
managed to convert two of them. The 24-year-old saved the only break point he faced in the opening set.
In the second set, Phau broke Chardy in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. Serving for the set at 5-3, Phau failed to hold his serve and it allowed Chardy to hold his own serve in the next game to level the score at 5-5. The French broke his opponent in
the 11th game and successfully held his serve, winning the second set 7-5.
Chardy delivered four aces and two double faults in the second set. The French fired in 59 per cent of the first serves in the second set and won 62 per cent of the points on them. In comparison, Phau kept his first serve percentage at 54 per cent and won
77 per cent of the points on his first serve. The right handed saved two of the three break points he faced in the second set. The match lasted for one hour and 39 minutes.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Chardy said, "I didn't play very well today, but it was a solid match and good enough to allow me to win. I was a bit too defensive in the second set, but luckily I managed to win in two.”
The French added, “I like playing on clay and I feel good physically going into the clay season. I'm very happy I finally won my first match on the tour this year."
This was Chardy’s first win in 2011. The French lost the opening round of his first six tournaments this year.
Chardy will play world number 69 Pablo Andujar of Spain in the second round. The Spaniard defeated French Florent Serra 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in the first round.
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