Olivier Rochus trounces over Bjorn Phau in the opening round – Australian Open 2012
Olivier Rochus of Belgium cruised past German star, Bjorn Phau, in straight sets at the Australian Open 2012 on Monday. He penned down a 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 victory over the 32-year-old German to secure a round of 62 spot at this first Grand Slam event of the
year, taking place on the hard courts in Melbourne, Australia.
A former world number 24, Rochus, barely sweated to earn a straight set victory over Phau, ranked 174th in the South African Airways ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Rankings, on court number five at the Melbourne Park. Facing
each other for the fifth time, the Belgian not only avenged his loss at the Sunrise Challenger in 2009 but also booked a second round place at this event.
The 30-year-old Belgian drew the first blood in the second game and eventually went 3-0 up. After Phau held his serve in the fourth game, Rochus maintained his intensity and pocketed the last three games as well, earning a breadstick in 25 minutes.
Rochus lost his ways in the second set and gifted away his serve in the fourth game to trail 1-3. However, he bounced back and reeled off next four games in a row before Phau could hold on. The Belgian held his serve again in the last game and clinched the
second set with a 6-4 score line in 45 minutes.
Currently ranked 54 in the ATP rankings, Rochus went into rage mode in the third set. He unleashed barrage of massive forehands and backhands to reel off all six games in a row and earned the bagel in 24 minutes.
The Belgian veteran dominated throughout the match and produced a higher first serve share of 60 percent as compared to Phau’s 49 percent. Mustering the match further, he clicked 33 out of 41 points on his first serve and fired seven aces. He defended three
out of four breakpoints he came across and converted seven out of ten break opportunities to his advantage.
Belgian will next confront the seventh seed, Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic. The seed required four sets to overpower Spain’s Albert Ramos on another court.
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