Marc Gicquel, Simone Bolelli qualify for the second round – BNP Paribas Polish Open 2011 CH
Marc Gicquel defeats Grzegorz Panfil 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(6)
World number 112 Marc Gicquel of France came back after getting bashed in the first set to battle past wildcard entrant, world number 471 Grzegorz Panfil of Poland in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(6) in the opening round at the BNP
Paribas Polish Open in Sopot, Poland on Tuesday. The French took two hours and 32 minutes to overcome his opponent in a marathon encounter.
Panfil outclassed the sixth seed in the first set as he lost just two games, breaking his opponent twice to win the set 6-2. The Polish fired three aces and sealed 77 percent of the points on the first serve in the opening set.
The left handed captured 33 percent of the first return points and 64 percent of the second service points in the first set.
After going down in the first set easily, Gicquel gained some momentum, breaking the Polish once to grab the set 6-4. The French improved his serve drastically as he fired four aces and 75 percent of the first deliveries, converting
a whopping 89 percent of them into points in the second set.
Gicquel and Panfil could not break each other in the deciding set, levelling the score at 6-6 and forcing a tie-break. The French captured a late mini-break in the tie-break, sealing it 8-6.
The 34-year-old will meet Daniel Munoz-De La Nava of Spain in the round of 16.
Simone Bolelli beats Maciej Smola 6-1, 6-1
Seventh seed, world number 120 Simone Bolelli of Italy crushed Polish Maciej Smola in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 to move to the second round. The match lasted for just an hour and six minutes.
Bolelli thrashed the Polish in the first set, allowing his opponent to win just one game and breaking him thrice to capture the set 6-1. The Italian sealed 78 percent of the first service points and 45 percent of the first return
points in the opening set.
The proceedings in the second set were not much different as the contest remained one-sided. Bolelli broke Smola twice to clinch the set 6-1. The Italian delivered 76 percent of the first serves and a couple of aces in the second
set. The 25-year-old saved the only break point he faced and converted two of the three break points on Smola’s serve in the second set.
Bolelli is drawn to meet world number 136 Florent Serra of France in the second round.
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