Michael Llodra beats Flavio Cipolla to advance to the third round of Mutua Madrid Open
French Michael Llodra, ranked 27th in the world, cruised past world number 160 Flavio Cipolla of Italy in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in the round of 32 of Mutua Madrid Open at the La Caja Mágica in Madrid on Wednesday. Llodra
needed only an hour and 16 minutes to beat his opponent in a one-sided match.
Llodra took the early lead as he broke Cipolla in the third game and held his next service game to go ahead 3-1. However, the Italian fought back and broke back in the sixth game. Llodra broke again in the ninth game and this time
he did not allow his opponent to stage a comeback, serving out the set at 5-4.
The French kept his first serve percentage at 62 percent and won 75 percent of the points on them in the opening set. On the other hand, Cipolla delivered 57 percent of the first serves, converting 63 percent of them into points
in the first set. The Italian did not return quite well as he managed to win just 25 percent of the first return points. Llodra capitalized on two of the four break point opportunities he created in the opening set. The left-handed failed to save the only
break point he faced in the first set.
Carrying the winning momentum into the second set, Llodra thrashed his Italian opponent, breaking him twice and dropping just two games to claim the set 6-2.
The French fired three aces and did not hit any double fault in the second set. The 30-year-old delivered 70 percent of the first serves and converted 75 percent of them into points in the second set. In comparison, Cipolla did
not hit any ace but committed one double fault. The right-handed had a lower first serve percentage as he hit just 58 percent of the first serves and captured 61 percent of the points on them in the second set. The Italian managed to save three of the five
break points he faced in the second set.
In the first round, Llodra prevailed over American Sam Querrey, ranked 18th in the world, in straight sets 6-2, 6-3.
The French is appearing at the Mutua Madrid Open for the second time. In his only appearance here, the six feet and three inches tall lost to American Robby Ginepri in straight sets 4-6, 4-6 in the opening round in 2008.
Llodra is slated to take on Spanish Daniel Gimeno-Traver, ranked 61st in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, in the third round. The Spaniard upset world number 8 Jurgen Melzer of Austria in straight sets 7-6(6),
6-3 in the second round.
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