Mardy Fish battles past Bjorn Phau into the second round – Citi Open 2012
Top seeded American, Mardy Fish, survived the first set scare to beat the world number 77 from Germany, Bjorn Phau, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of the Citi Open in Washington, USA on Tuesday. The American number two needed
one hour and 52 minutes to claim victory in a closely contested match.
Fish and Phau made a steady start in this first round contest, as they held their serve in the opening six games to even out the score at 3-3. Phau struck in the seventh and consolidated on it to move forward 5-3. Fish captured
his serve in the ninth game to reduce the deficit to 4-5 but he could not strike back, losing it 4-6.
Phau banged in three aces and committed a couple of double faults, keeping his first serve percentage at 62 and converting 16 of the 21 of them into points. On the other hand, Fish bombarded five aces but his first delivery rate
was just 44 percent. The American failed to save one of the three break points he faced and could not convert any of the two he received.
The German player and his American rival won their serve in the first three games to take the score to 2-1 in favour of the latter. It was an all Fish show after that, as he grabbed four successive games to capture it 6-1.
The American participant pounded six aces and made two double faults in the second set. The California, USA resident put in 67 percent of the first serves and grabbed 12 of the 18 points on them. The 30-year-old put away the only
break threat he came across and utilised two of the three he created for himself.
Fish did not allow the German to settle down in the decider, nailing a break in the first game and holding his following serve to go up 2-0. The American star hit another blow to Phau in the fifth and consolidated on it to stretch
his lead to 5-1. Fish allowed his rival to claim only one more game, sealing it 6-2.
The 6ft 2in tall served superbly, firing four aces and 74 percent of the first serves in the final set. The right-hander had a brilliant conversion rate, winning 12 of the 17 first and five of the six second delivery points.
Fish is slated to meet Lithuania’s wild card entrant, Ricardas Berankis, in the second round.
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