Lukas Lacko stuns Ivan Ljubicic in the opening round battle – Australian Open 2012
Slovak qualifier, Lukas Lacko, stunned everyone present at the Melbourne Park when he dumped the former world number three, Ivan Ljubicic, in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday. The 119th ranked competitor
took three hours and nine minutes to settle the five-setter at 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, to move into the second round of the Grand Slam Down Under.
32-year-old Croat veteran had an excellent start to the matchup and pocketed the opening two sets in just 71 minutes to attain a substantial position in the competition. Perhaps the aging factor took on Ljubicic in the later parts
of the game, as the Croat lost his steam to gift away the last three sets of the match to the more agile and energetic Slovak opponent. Lacko cruised through the last three sets with commanding ease, facing limited resistance from the fatigued opponent and
registered his surprise victory in style.
Ljubicic’s 13 aces were replied by 27 cracking ones from Lacko, who secured 63 out of 78 first serve points en route to victory. The Slovak qualifier converted four of his 11 break opportunities in the match to dispose of the 28th
seed Ljubicic on the very first day of the mega event being played in Melbourne, Australia.
The Croat nailed two break points each in the opening two sets to get a 2-0 lead in the matchup and it was anticipated that he will wrap up victory in straight sets. Before Ljubicic could go for the kill, Lacko shifted his gears
in the third set and stung two vital break points in the fourth and eighth game to take the set at 6-3.
Lacko kept his momentum floating in the next as well and broke the Croatian serve in the fifth game to pocket the fourth set at 6-4. The Croat veteran was virtually exhausted by the start of the fifth set and could not pose sufficient
resistance to the onslaught of Lacko. The Slovak qualifier had a vital breakthrough in the seventh game and went on to conclude the matchup at 6-4, marching into the second round of the Australian Open.
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