Juan Ignacio Chela knocks out Gilles Simon in the second round of Internazionali BNL d’Italia
World number 42, Argentinean Juan Ignacio Chela cruised past world number 19, French Gilles Simon in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia at the Foro Italico in Rome on Wednesday. It took
the Argentinean just an hour and 32 minutes to undo his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Chela broke Simon in the third game of the first set and consolidated on it to take a 3-1 lead. The Argentinean held his serve in the tenth game to win the set 6-4.
The right-handed was lucky to win the set despite committing three double faults in the first set. Chela delivered 68 percent of the first serves and sealed a whopping 89 percent of the points on them in the first set. In comparison,
Simon fired two aces but his first serve percentage was the problem as he hit just 49 percent of the first serves and won 50 percent of the points on them in the first set. The French failed in saving one of the five break points he faced in the opening set.
In the second set, Chela broke Simon in the third game to go ahead 2-1. However, the French broke back immediately in the next game to level the score at 2-2. After that, Chela won four consecutive games, breaking Simon in the
fifth and seventh games and claiming the second set 6-2.
Chela fired 76 percent of the first serves, bagging 58 percent of the points on them in the second set. On the other hand, Simon served poorly as the French kept his first serve percentage at 50 percent and won a mere 45 percent
of the points on them in the second set. Chela returned tremendously well as he captured 55 percent of the points on the first service returns. The Argentinean failed to save one of the two break points but compensated that by winning all the three break points
he received in the second set.
The 31-year-old will meet world number 8 Jurgen Melzer of Austria or German Florian Mayer, ranked 28th in the world, in the third round.
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