Julien Benneteau ousts Lukas Lacko in 2nd round - Open De Rennes 2011 CH
29-year-old French Julien Benneteau subdued Slovak Lukas Lacko in the second round of the Open De Rennes 2011. Both the challengers battled it out on the indoor hard courts in Rennes, France and after a few hours, emerging victorious was the French world number 64 Benneteau as he survived a mid match lapse to secure a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5) on Thursday, the 13th of October.
Initiating the first round was Lacko, who ably handled his serve to place himself on the scoreboard at 1-0. Right at his toes was his adversary, Benneteau, who too held his serve and placed himself on the scoreboard at 1-1. The two rivals matched a blow for a blow and the score progressed on even terms at 2-2, then 3-3 and finally at 4-4 as they held serve for the following six games.
During the ninth game first to capitalize on a break was Benneteau but his mini lead was put to an end in the following game as Lacko also broke back to once again tie the score at 5-5 by the end of the tenth game. A turn of events took place in the eleventh game as they players combated a few deuces and finally benefiting from the break was Benneteau and as he held serve for the last time in the twelfth game, he bagged the opening set with a 7-5 victory.
After taking a beating in the opening set, Lacko pulled up his socks and he got off to an awful start but quickly pulled himself together. By the end of the first four games the two had managed to equalize the score at 2-2 with a break and hold of serve. The players again balanced out the score at 3-3 with a hold of serve each. During the last three games Lacko utilized the serve-break-serve technique and conquered the second set with a 6-3 victory.
Opening the decisive round of the match was Benneteau and in the first two games the players won on alternate games and rotated the scoreboard to 1-1. Lacko held serve in the third game and by the fourth he broke Benneteau to take the lead. The score was balanced at 3-3 in the sixth game by the Frenchman as he made a hold of serve and then broke his opponent.
The two players repeated the feat and the score tied at 5-5 by the end of the tenth game but eventually as the players held serve in the last two games the set was pushed into a tiebreaker.
The cat and mouse chase carried well on into the tiebreaker and neither of the challengers wanted the other to gain a competitive edge. The score between the two had tied at five points each but from there onwards Benneteau capitalized on a pivotal break and served the tiebreaker at 7-5 to secure place in the quarterfinal of the event.
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