Olivier Rochus cruises past Sergiy Stakhovsky to advance into 2nd round – Studena Croatia Open 2011
Belgium’s Olivier Rochus eased past Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky in straight sets to advance into the second round of the Studena Croatia Open 2011, an ATP World Tour 250 series event held on the clay courts in Umag, Croatia. After
earning a 6-4, 6-4 victory against the 25-year-old Ukrainian, Rochus outshined completely to extend lead in their head-to-head series by 2-0 on Tuesday.
World number 74 Rochus stunned the Ukrainian, ranked 31 places above him, in one hour and forty-five minutes to keep his winning record straight. He last downed Stakhovsky at Newport two years ago and after earning victory at ITC
Stella Maris, the Belgian not only extended lead in their head-to-head series by 2-0 but also booked a second round spot in this event.
30-year-old Belgian confidently entered at the outdoor clay courts of Umag and plucked in entire serves after fending off five breakpoints faced. He founded six breakpoint opportunities and converted one to his advantage in the
seventh game to eventually seal the opening set with a 6-4 score line.
The Namur born star carried his winning ways into the final set as he held his opening serve in the second game to level the scores at 1-1. He faced zero breakpoint and smoothly reeled off entire serves. Rochus required only a
single breakpoint opportunity to clinch the set. He founded it in the ninth game and duly converted to his advantage to pocket the set with a 6-4 win again.
Overall, the Belgian clobbered a higher first serve share of 63 percent as compared to Stakhovsky’s 59 percent and registered an impressive 69 percent win on it. Furthermore, he earned a perfect breakpoint saving record and with
a help of a single break of serve in each game, the Belgian clinched the match convincingly.
Next up for Rochus is sixth seeded Italian Fabio Fognini who is the crowd favourite. He failed to save three out of four breakpoints faced but converted six out of eleven breakpoint opportunities to his advantage to seal the match
with a 6-4, 6-3 score line.
24-year-old clobbered a lower first serve share of 51 percent as compared to Machado’s 65 percent but registered an impressive 64 percent win on it. He also smashed three ferocious aces to clinch the match in almost one and half
hour.
Fognini hasn’t had a great season so far but he shined at Rolland Garros and made a quarter-final berth before withdrawing due to left thigh injury. He then led his country to glory at David Cup before entering this tournament.
Tags: