Marcel Granollers overcomes Antonio Veic in the second round – Bet-At-Home Cup 2011
Seventh seed, Spaniard Marcel Granollers survived the scare in the second set to beat Croatian qualifier Antonio Veic, ranked 196th in the world, in three sets 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the Bet-At-Home Cup
in Kitzbuhel on Thursday. The Spaniard needed two hours and five minutes to clinch the marathon match.
Granollers was almost flawless in the first set as he did not allow his opponent to win a single game, breaking the Croatian thrice and claiming six games in a row to bag the set 6-0.
The Spaniard delivered 60 percent of the first serves and sealed a whopping eight of the nine first service points in the first set. The 25-year-old did not allow his opponent to pressurise him on the second serve, hitting aggressive
second serves and winning four of the six points on them. The best part of Granollers’ game was the return of serve as he captured an incredible eight of the fourteen first return points in the opening set. The Spaniard did not face any break point on his
own serve and converted three of the five break points he received on Veic’s serve in the first set.
Veic made changes in his game plan and came into the second set with more determination. The Croatian claimed an early break of serve as he won the Spaniard’s service game and held his own serve in the third game to take a 3-0
lead. The 23-year-old sustained his lead throughout the set and won it 6-3.
The Croatian hit 63 percent of the first serves and a couple of aces in the second set. The Zagreb resident grabbed thirteen of the seventeen first service points and eight of the ten second service points. Veic saved the only
break point he faced and capitalised on the one break point opportunity he created on the Spaniard’s serve in the second set.
Granollers and Veic broke each other on a number of occasions in the third set but it was the Spaniard who clinched the decisive break of serve in the ninth game and served out the match at 5-4.
The Barcelona resident kept his first serve percentage at 50 percent and smacked two aces in the final set. The six feet and three inches tall captured 53 percent of the first service points and the same percentage of second service
points in the deciding set.
Granollers is slated to take on top seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina in the quarterfinals.
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