Kevin Anderson, David Nalbandian advance to the second round – AEGON Championships 2011
Kevin Anderson beats Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 7-6(2)
South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, ranked 39th in the world, dumped world number 144 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(2) in the first round of AEGON Championships at the Queen’s Club in London on Tuesday.
It took the South African one hour and 31 minutes to overpower his opponent in an even contested match.
Anderson broke Karlovic once in the first set, winning it 6-4. Both players relied on their serve. The South African fired eight aces and 78 percent of the first serves, clinching a whopping 86 percent of the points on them in
the opening set. On the other hand, big serving Karlovic hit eight aces and 63 percent of the first deliveries, converting an incredible 89 percent of them into points. The Croatian could not save the only break point opportunity he faced and failed to capitalise
on the one break point opportunity he received in the first set.
The South African and Karlovic held their serve throughout the second set, equalising the score at 6-6 to take the set to a tie-break. Anderson was almost flawless in the tie-break as he lost just two points, winning it 7-2. The
25-year-old kept fighting against his opponent’s serve as the Croatian fired ten aces in the second set. Anderson won 20 percent of the first return points in the second set.
The six feet and eight inches tall will meet Donald Young of USA in the second round.
David Nalbandian defeats Illya Marchenko 6-3, 6-4
Ninth seed David Nalbandian of Argentina overpowered Ukrainian Illya Marchenko, ranked 108th in the world, in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round. The match lasted for an hour and 23 minutes.
Nalbandian broke Marchenko in the sixth game and consolidated on the single break of serve to win the set 6-3. The Argentine delivered four aces and 57 percent of the first serves, sealing a whopping 88 percent of the points on
them in the first set. The 29-year-old saved the one break point he faced and converted one of the three break points he received on Marchenko’s serve in the opening set.
Carrying the winning momentum into the second set, Nalbandian broke the Ukrainian in the opening game, holding serve in the next game and taking a 2-0 lead. The right-handed did not allow his opponent to break back and won the
set 6-4. The five feet and eleven inches tall had a low first serve percentage as he managed to hit just 48 percent of the first serves, winning 80 percent of the points on them in the second set.
Nalbandian will face Ilija Bozoljac of Serbia in the second round. The Serbian beat Mikhail Kukushkin of Russia in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.
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