Martin Klizan outlasts Simone Bolelli in the quarter-finals – Bet-at-home Cup 2012
Fifth seed, Martin Klizan of Slovakia, fought back after getting thrashed in the first set to down Italy’s world number 111, Simone Bolelli, in the quarter-finals of the Bet-at-home Cup in Kitzbuhel on Thursday.
The Slovakian lost the opener with an embarrassing score, captured a close second one and then dominated completely in the decider to win the contest 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 after two hours and one minute.
Bolelli grabbed initial breakthrough in the second game and consolidated on it to move ahead 2-0. The Italian struck again in the sixth and held is following serve to seal it 6-1.
The Monte-Carlo resident hit a couple of aces and 54 percent of the first serves, pocketing 11 of the 14 points on them. The right-hander also put up a decent show on the second deliveries and returns, as he bagged eight of the
12 and six of the 10 points on them respectively. The 6ft tall put away the only break threat he came across and utilised two of the three opportunities he created in the opener.
The second set saw the proceedings going back and forth till the end. Klizan struck in the second game to go up 2-0 but lost four consecutively after that, getting broken in the third and fifth to go down 2-4. The Slovakian hit
back in the eighth game to even out the score at 4-4. The next three games went with serve to take the score to 6-5 in favour of Klizan. Serving to stay in the set at that moment, Bolelli could not hold and threw it away 5-7.
Klizan pounded four aces on his Italian rival and committed one double fault, keeping the first serve percentage at 59 and clinching 16 of the 24 points on them in the second set. The Slovakian looked unstoppable on his fiery second
returns, converting 10 of the 13 of them into points.
The story of the decider was similar to the opener but the difference was that this time everything went in Klizan’s way. The Slovakian carried the winning momentum into the final set, snatching opening three games to build a 3-0
lead. Bolelli held his serve in the fourth to open his account but failed to win even a single one later on, losing it 1-6.
Klizan will lock horns with the third seed, Robin Haase of the Netherlands, in the semis. Haase defeated USA’s Wayne Odesnik in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.
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