Mardy Fish knocks out Robin Haase in the second round – French Open 2011
World number 10 Mardy Fish of USA cruised past world number 54 Robin Haase of Netherlands in straight sets 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-1 in the second round of French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Thursday. The American needed two hours
and twelve minutes to oust his opponent in a one-sided match.
Fish and Haase put on a serving display in the first set as neither player was able to break other’s serve in the first twelve games, squaring off the score at 6-6 to force a tie-break. The American thrashed his opponent in the
tie-break as he lost just one point and claimed it 7-1.
The right-handed had a low first serve percentage as he manage to hit just 55 percent of the first serves in the opening set. However, the American had a very good conversion rate, converting a whopping 87 percent of the first
serves into points in the first set. Fish hit twelve winners and seventeen unforced errors in the opening set.
After clinching a tough first set, Fish dominated the second set from its beginning as he broke the Dutch in the opening game and held his serve in the next game to go ahead 2-0. The American broke again in the seventh game, serving
out the set in the next game and winning it 6-2.
The 29-year-old was lucky to win the set despite having a poor first serve percentage as he delivered a meagre 39 percent of the first serves in the second set. Fish won 78 percent of the first service points in the second set.
The American hit seven winners and committed the same number of unforced errors in the second set. The tenth seed capitalised on two of the five break point opportunities he created on his opponent’s serve in the second set.
Fish was almost flawless in the third set as he allowed Haase to claim only one game, breaking the Dutch in the second and sixth game to win the set 6-1.
The American improved his first serve percentage, hitting 63 percent of the first serves in the third set. Fish won 70 percent of the first service points and 57 percent of the receiving points in the third set. The six feet and
two inches tall converted three of the ten break points he received in the third set.
Talking to the media after the match, Fish said, "As a goal you just want to go further and do things that you’ve never done before. I want to go further than the third round. I feel a lot more confident that I have done in previous
Grand Slams, minus the US Open last year. I’m way more fit than I’ve ever been."
The Florida resident will take on world number 18 Gilles Simon of France in the round of 32.
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