Oliver Golding rallies past Marcos Giron into the quarterfinals of Boys’ Singles – French Open 2011
Fourth seed Oliver Golding of Great Britain survived a second set scare to dump Marcos Giron of USA in three sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the third round of boys’ singles event at French Open in Paris on Wednesday. The Brit took an hour
and 30 minutes to undo his opponent in a tough match.
Golding and Giron broke each other on a number of occasions in the first set. However, it was the British who broke decisively in the eighth game, holding his serve in the next game to claim the set 6-3.
The right-handed served quiet well as he fired three aces and 74 percent of the first deliveries, bagging 75 percent of the points on them in the first set. In comparison, Giron was poor with his serve, failing to hit any ace and
committing a couple of double faults. The American delivered just 45 percent of the first serves and won a meagre 36 percent of the points on them. Golding pushed back his opponent with the help of some aggressive returns of serve, clinching an incredible
58 percent of the receiving points in the first set. The Brit converted three of the eight break points on Giron’s serve and saved one of three break points on his own serve in the opening set.
Golding was looking to seal the match quickly as he broke his opponent in the first game of the second set to take a 1-0 lead. However, Giron was in no mood to surrender easily, breaking back immediately to equalise the score at
1-1. The American broke again in the sixth game and consolidated on it, claiming the set 6-3.
Giron made amendments in his serving style and improved his first serve percentage drastically, hitting 64 percent of the first serves and clinching 67 percent of the points on them in the second set. The American converted 46
percent of the returns into points in the second set. The 17-year-old capitalised on two of the five break point opportunities he created but failed to save the only break point on his own serve in the second set.
In the third set, Golding and Giron faced difficulties in holding their serve and kept getting broken. However, Giron was broken four times, losing the set 2-6 in just 28 minutes.
Golding thrashed the American with the attacking return of serve as he bagged an amazing 81 percent of the receiving points in the final set. The Brit hit two aces and kept his first serve percentage at 68 percent, sealing 47 percent
of the points on them. The right-handed won four of the seven break points he received on his opponent’s serve in the deciding set.
The British is drawn to play another American Bjorn Fratangelo in the quarterfinals.
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