Leonardo Mayer slays injury-stricken Flavio Cipolla to reach quarters – Farmers Classic 2012
Third seed, Leonardo Mayer, devastated the injured Italian challenger, Flavio Cipolla, with a bagel at the Farmers Classic 2012 on Wednesday. He was leading 6-0, 4-0 when the Italian was forced to pull out from the tournament due to a neck injury. As a result,
the Argentinean secured a spot in the quarter-finals at this hard court tournament held in UCLA campus.
The seeded Argentinean cashed in five out of 12 break chances to go 6-0, 4-0 up at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 series event. Regardless of the 28-year-old withdrawing from the tournament after that, Mayer high-spiritedly
powered into the final eight.
Mayer thundered into the Los Angeles Tennis Center and unveiled his true colours from the beginning. He went on a six-game killing spree and pulled out the opener with a bagel. The Argentinean was never threatened with any blockage and cashed in three out
of six break chances to register a spectacular 6-0 score line.
Ranked 64th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Mayer kept momentum rolling in the following set. He continued blasting powerful forehands and stroke out the opening four games in a row before Cipolla was forced to withdraw due
to neck injury. The Argentinean again faced no barriers and capitalised on two out of six break chances.
Summing up the Argentinean’s performance in this 55-minute venture, Mayer fired five aces and spilled zero double faults. He nudged up a lower first serve share of 63 per cent as opposed to his opponent’s 74 per cent but superbly clicked 12 out of 15 points
on it.
The 25-year-old will face off the local challenger, Rajeev Ram, in the last eight.
"He also had a decisive win today. It will be a tough battle, I'll have to bring my best," Mayer stated about his next match-up in a courtside interview after earning this victory.
Ram, who prior to this season made a quarter-final showing in 2009, crippled Chile’s Paul Capdeville with a breadstick to progress. He swiped his entire serves without facing any breakpoint and cashed in four out of nine break chances to register a 6-3,
6-1 score line.
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