Olivier Rochus outlasts Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the quarter-finals – Mons Challenger 2012
Belgian veteran, Olivier Rochus, defeated the local challenger, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, in the quarter-finals of the Ethias Trophy 2012 held at the hard courts of Mons, Belgium. The Belgian contender collected his 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 triumph in nearly two hours.
Previously, the duo contested against one other in the indoor hard courts of France at the Rennes Challenger 2012. The Belgian professional gave his rival straight sets 6-2, 6-2 defeat at the semi-finals.
The 31-year-old, Rochus, commenced a classic start in the opener and very confidently drew the first blood. He completely shattered his rival’s confidence by breaking his serve twice i.e. in the third and fifth match. He did not even skip a single opportunity and journeyed until the end with a strong resolve. Eventually, he consolidated a 6-2 score line.
The right-hander local contestant completely upturned the winning order in the second set. He followed the exact same pattern as Rochus and broke his serve in the fourth games. He preserved his serve throughout the set and swiftly smashed powerful ground strokes and volleys. He concluded the set by stamping his 6-2 lead.
The lower ranked, Vasselin, secured 67 percent initial serve and secured the lead by capitalizing on the two of the break points presented to him. The right-hander Belgian native marched forward with 46 percent initial serve, bagging away five of 11 points.
The world number 110, regained his early ascend and quickly progressed with his high paced momentum. He busted his rival’s serve in the third game and engraved a 2-1 lead since the start of the decider. Despite of the 28-year-old attempts to strike back, Rochus sustained his focus and did not give a single chance to take control. The Belgian used his experience to his advantage and terminated the set with a 6-4 win.
The Belgian senior had a lower initial serve precision of 47 percent but he covered the loss by converting 13 of 15 first and nine of 17 second delivery points. In response, the Frenchman had slightly better initial serve of 61 percent, with 13 of 19 first and seven of 12 second serve points.
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