Kei Nishikori, Igor Andreev advance to the main round of Internazionali BNL d'Italia
Kei Nishikori defeats Federico Del Bonis 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2
World number 53 Kei Nishikori of Japan came back from a deficit of one set to beat Argentinean Federico Del Bonis, ranked 192nd in the world, in three sets 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2 in the final qualifier of the Internazionali
BNL d'Italia at Foro Italico in Rome on Sunday. The marathon match lasted for three hours and three minutes.
Nishikori and Del Bonis exchanged a couple of breaks of serve in the first 12 games of the opening set, levelling the score at 6-6 to take it to a tie-break. The Argentinean bagged two mini-breaks in the tie-break, capturing it
7-4.
Del Bonis was erratic with his second serves as he committed four double faults in the first set. The Argentinean was able to deliver 57 percent of the first serves, bagging 69 percent of the points on them in the opening set.
The left-handed converted both break points he received but failed to save two of the three break points he faced in the second set.
Nishikori came back in the match as he broke Del Bonis in the 11th game of the second set and served it out at 6-5. The Japanese had a first serve percentage of 72 percent and bagged 60 percent of the points on his first
serve in the second set.
After winning a close second set, Nishikori thrashed the Argentinean in the deciding set, breaking him twice to win it 6-2.
The Japanese will take on Gael Monfils of France in the first round of the main draw.
Igor Andreev ousts Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 7-5
Russian Igor Andreev, ranked 106th in the world, upset world number 59 Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 to reach the main round.
Andreev broke Nieminen once in the first set and capitalized on the single break of serve to win it 6-4.
The Russian fired four aces and 59 percent of the first serves, bagging 74 percent of the points on them in the opening set. The right-handed troubled his opponent with his aggressive returns, winning 36 percent of the points on
the first service returns. On the other hand, Nieminen could not match Andreev’s performance as he managed to convert 26 percent of the first returns into points in the opening set. The left-handed failed to save the only break point he faced in the first
set.
Andreev and Nieminen broke each other on a number of occasions in the second set. But, it was the Russian who claimed the decisive break of serve to grab the set 7-5.
The 27-year-old capitalized on all the three break point opportunities he created in the second set. The Russian saved two of the four break points he faced in the second set.
Andreev will play Spaniard Pere Riba in the opening match of the main round.
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