Michael Yani registers upset win against Yen-Hsun Lu to move into main draw – Rogers Cup 2011
Qualifying thirteenth seed American Michael Yani prevailed over his Taiwanese opponent Yen-Hsun Lu, seeded at No. 2 in the qualifying round to make headway in the main draws of the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Yani’s straight sets win
at 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday was the biggest upset in the tournament so far and Lu is the only athlete amongst the top six players who failed to qualify for the main draws.
An ATP Masters 1000 event, the Rogers Cup holds an enviable reputation as the oldest running Olympus US Open series tournament. Montreal is a favourite tune up venue for top players, with the Cup’s outcomes predicting results at
the end of play at the Flushing Meadows.
The 30 year old Yani is currently ranked at a lowly 221 on the rankings table and he comes in with a season’s win loss mark of 3-2. He has been active mostly on the challenger circuit, playing recently in Vancouver. Yani is still
on the hunt for his maiden ATP title, surprised with an impressive performance at Newport in early July. The 13th seed managed to reach all the way up till the semis before losing to Olivier Rochus. Yani has played at the Rogers Cup only once before
last year; he had failed it to make it past the qualies.
66th ranked Taiwan’s Lu has been on a roll in recent weeks. Beginning with a slow start to the season Lu, who came into the tournament with a season’s win loss standing of 11-17, clocked in impressive quarter final performances
at Los Angeles and Atlanta. Lu lost to Ryan Harrison at the Farmers Classic and to Kohn Isner at the Legg Mason.
The match which lasted for a little under an hour and forty minutes was the two players’ first meeting.
Lu played the opening game of the match and for the initial games of the first set, the match progressed evenly. However with score at the 4-4 mark, Yani registered a blistering serve break enabling him to hurtle forward. Both
the players managed to fire one ace each and also committed two double faults each in this set. Despite serving at a dismal 48%, Yani managed to close the first set with an effective 6-4 score.
The second set followed precedent and ended again at 6-4, squarely in the American’s account. Yani served beautifully, managing to connect 77% of his serves. He won 15 points off his 20 serves and by registering a breakpoint in
the set’s second last game, Yani set off on an unchallengeable lead.
Yani will now face twelfth seed in the main draws, Serbian Viktor Troicki in their first round match at the Rogers Cup on Monday. Troicki is currently ranked as esteemed No. 15 and recently made it to the quarterfinals at Washington.
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