Kei Nishikori, Kevin Anderson proceed to the second round – AEGON International 2011
Kei Nishikori beats Evgeny Kirillov 7-5, 6-1
World number 59 Kei Nishikori of Japan prevailed over world number 378, qualifier Evgeny Kirillov of Russia in straight sets 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of AEGON International at Devonshire Park in Eastbourne on Tuesday. The match
lasted for just 59 minutes.
The Japanese and Kirillov held their serve in the first eleven games of the opening set, taking the score to 6-5 in favour of Nishikori. The right-handed broke finally broke his opponent in the twelfth game and won the set 7-5.
Nishikori fired four aces and 63 percent of the first serves, grabbing 75 percent of the points on them in the first set. The Japanese converted one of the three break points on Kirillov’s serve and saved the one break point he faced on his own serve in the
first set.
The 21-year-old crushed the Russian in the second set, losing only a single game and breaking his opponent twice to bag the set 6-1. Nishikori hit a single ace and 54 percent of the first deliveries, clinching 71 percent of the
points on them in the second set. The Japanese capitalised on both break point opportunities he created on the Russian’s serve and succeeded in saving all the three break points he faced on his own serve in the second set.
Nishikori will play world number 118 Rainer Schuettler of Germany in the second round. The German ousted Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, ranked 35th in the world, in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in the first round.
Kevin Anderson defeats Alexander Slabinsky 7-5, 6-3
South Africa’s top player Kevin Anderson, ranked 38th in the world, downed world number 558 Alexander Slabinsky of Great Britain in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 to move to the second round. Anderson needed just an hour and
fourteen minutes to oust his opponent in a one-sided contest.
The South African and British won their serve in the first ten games of the first set, levelling the score at 5-5. The 25-year-old broke his opponent in the eleventh game and served out the set at 6-5. Anderson delivered six aces
and 62 percent of the first serves, sealing an incredible 89 percent of the points on them in the opening set. The South African won one of the three break points he received on Slabinsky’s serve in the first set.
Carrying the winning momentum into the second set, Anderson broke the British in the sixth game and held his serve in the next game to race to a 5-2 lead. The right-handed served out the set in the ninth game, grabbing it 6-3.
The South African served brilliantly in the second set as he fired ten aces and 76 percent of the first serves, converting an amazing 94 percent of them into points in the second set.
The sixth seed is slated to meet world number 64 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in the second round.
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