Marrero/Verdasco edge past Erlich/Ram to advance to title match – German Tennis Championships 2012
Unseeded Spaniards, David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco, bounced back after losing the first set to down the fourth seeds, Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel, 6-7(0), 6-4, 14-12 in the semi-final of the Bet-at-home Open German
Tennis Championships in Hamburg on Saturday.
Marrero and Verdasco struck in the very first game of the match and consolidated on it to gain a 2-0 lead. The Israeli pair broke back in the eighth one to square off the proceedings at 4-4. The subsequent four games were held
by both teams, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. Erlich and Ram stunned everyone by the high standard of their performance later on, as they played flawlessly to capture seven points in a row and snatch it 7-6(0).
The Israeli duo fired three aces and committed a single double fault in the first set. Erlich and Ram had a below average first serve percentage of 47 but managed to claim 15 of the 17 points on them. They made the most of their
opponents’ weak serves, sealing six of the 10 second return points. The Israelis were unable to save the only break point they faced but balanced that by converting one of the six they received.
After losing a tough first set, Marrero and Verdasco made an ideal start in the second, breaking their opponents’ opening serve and holding their own to build a 3-0 advantage. Though, the Spaniards failed to capitalise on their
lead, as they could not serve it out in the ninth game but they snatched a break in the following one to triumph 6-4.
Marrero and Verdasco failed to hit any ace but also avoided double fault throughout the second set, putting in 84 percent of the first serves and securing 14 of the 21 points on them. The Spanish pair gave a superb showing on the
second deliveries, as they won all the four points.
The super tie-breaker went back and forth at the start but soon both rival teams went on equal terms, levelling the score at 8-8. They went neck to neck till 12-12 but then Marrero and Verdasco bagged two back to back points to
grab it 14-12.
The Spanish combination needed an hour and 43 minutes to oust their Israeli rivals.
Verdasco and Marrero will face the Brazilian-Spanish duo of Rogerio Dutra Silva and Daniel Munoz-De La Nava in the final.
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