Michael Berrer stuns Nicolas Almagro to advance into the second round – UNICEF Open 2011
German Michal Berrer surprised everyone after upsetting tournament’s top seed, Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in a three set thriller at UNICEF Open 2011, a warm-up of Wimbledon. He bounced from a set down to clinch the match with a
3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over the 25-year-old Spaniard to advance into the second round on Monday.
Ranked 75th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour rankings, Berrer made an epic comeback to triumph over the Spaniard, one of the world’s top fifteen players, in three troublesome sets at s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
Berrer was victorious in his last duel with Almagro three years back at Germany and after earning this victory, he extended his lead in their head-to-head series by 2-0.
The seed, who won his third title last month in Nice, stormed into the opening set and smoothly reeled off his entire serves to make quick in-roads. Regardless of producing a lower first serve share of 48 percent as compared to
Berrer’s 57 percent, he registered a spectacular 91 percent win on it. To further sugar coat the opener, Almagro smashed five aces, faced zero breakpoint convert the only breakpoint chance he founded to his advantage to bag the set with a 6-3 score line.
The German then raised the bar of his game to Almagro’s level and levelled the scores by pocket his entire serves. He also clobbered an equal first serve share of 66 percent and committed less double faults. Berrer saved both breakpoints
conceded but failed to find a breakpoint opportunity and eventually took the set to a tie-breaker. He prevailed in it to seal the equaliser with a 7-6(5) win.
30-year-old’s experience came in handy and he kept his winning ways into the decider. He fished out easy points and maintained consistency in his games to keep his entire serves. The German found four breakpoint chances and converted
one to his advantage to clinch the final set with a 6-4 victory. He produced a much better first serve share and earned an amazing 93 percent win on it.
A former world number forty-two, Berrer hasn’t had much progress this season except for outshining everyone at Zagreb where he made a final berth before losing to Croat Ivan Dodig. He seemed to have re-kindled his spark in this
ATP grass court event as he upset the highest ranked player of the tournament in his opening round match.
Next up for Berrer is the winner of the match between American Michael Craig Russell and Colombian Santiago Giraldo.
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