Matthew Ebden battles past Matthias Bachinger into quarterfinals – Hall of Fame Championships 2011
Australian Matthew Ebden, ranked 157th in the world, fought back from one set down to overcome world number 92 Matthew Bachinger of Germany in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame
Tennis Championships in Newport on Wednesday. It took Ebden one hour and 50 minutes to oust his opponent in a tough contest.
Bachinger came roaring into the match as he clinched first four games, breaking the Australian in the first and third game to blaze forward to a 4-0 lead. Ebden held his serve in the fifth game to open his account and broke the
German in the next game to reduce the trail to 2-4. However, Bachinger captured two successive games after that to win the set 6-2.
The German delivered 50 percent of the first serves and a single ace in the first set. Bachinger bagged 73 percent of the first service points in the opening set. The 24-year-old made the difference with the return of serve, claiming
55 percent of the first return points. The German failed to save the only break point he faced but succeeded in converting three of the four break points he received on Ebden’s serve in the first set.
Bachinger was looking strong in the second set as he broke Ebden in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. However, Ebden broke back in the very next game and held his serve in the fourth game to tie the score at 2-2. The Australian
broke again in the ninth game and served out the set in the next game, capturing it 6-4.
Ebden kept his first serve percentage at 61 percent and fired four aces in the second set. The Australian clinched six of the twelve second service points. The six feet and two inches tall converted both break points he received
on Bachinger’s serve and saved one of the two break points on his own serve in the second set.
With winning momentum on his side, Ebden needed only a single break of serve to win the third set 6-4.
The Australian hit a whopping 88 percent of the first serves and four aces in the final set. The 23-year-old capitalised on one of the four break point opportunities he created on the German’s serve and managed to save all the
three break points he faced on his own serve in the deciding set.
Ebden will meet Belgian Olivier Rochus, seeded sixth at the event, in the quarterfinals.
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