Matthew Ebden, Paolo Lorenzi qualify for the main round – BNP Paribas Open 2012
Matthew Ebden beats Rajeev Ram 6-4, 6-3
Third seed Matthew Ebden booked his place in the main draw, after beating world number 155 Rajeev Ram in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 in the final qualifier at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Wednesday.
It took the Australian only an hour and 16 minutes to oust Ram in a one-sided contest.
Ram was in a mood to trouble his opponent, as he took Ebden’s very first game to deuce, although, he could not win it. The Australian struck in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Ram broke back in the very next game and held his serve
in the sixth to level the score at 3-3. Things went bad for the American, Ram, when he failed to win any point in the tenth to lose it 4-6.
The second set went with the serve until Ram failed to grab even a single point in the fourth and fifth game, going down 1-4. Ebden capitalised on the only break and sealed the set 6-3.
The Australian delivered three aces and two double faults, converting a total of 28 of the 35 first serves into points in the match.
Ebden will meet world number 81, Igor Kunitsyn of Russia, in the first round.
Paolo Lorenzi defeats Daniel Kosakowski 6-2, 7-6(4)
Joining Ebden in the main round is the fourth seed Paolo Lorenzi, who prevailed over Daniel Kosakowski of USA in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(4) in the final match of the qualifying draw.
Lorenzi did not face much difficulty in disposing of Kosakowski in the first set. The Italian secured two breaks of serve and did not drop his own even once, claiming the opener 6-2.
Ranked 97th in the world, Lorenzi neither hit an ace nor committed any double fault in the first set. The Italian captured nine of the 12 first serve and 12 of the 20 first return points.
The second set saw a stiff competition from both players, as they traded two breaks of serve to equalise the score at 6-6, taking it to a tie-breaker. Lorenzi fired a couple of winners on crucial points and grabbed it 7-6(4).
The Italian’s serve and return statistics were pretty average but he hit more winners and less unforced errors than his opponent in the second set. The 30-year-old required an hour and 56 minutes to topple his opponent.
Lorenzi is drawn to play wild card entrant, Robby Ginepri of USA, in the opening round of the main draw.
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