PTT Thailand Open; Highlights from Friday
Jarkko Nieminen from Finland did well to knock down Jurgen Melzer in a two-setter clash at the PTT Thailand Open on Friday. The final match score was 6-3, 7-6(4).
“I have had a new coach since Wimbledon, working with Jan de Witt. We have worked on a lot of things, especially the serve, and everything takes time to take shape,” declared Nieminen who lost thirteen points on his serve and smashed eight aces.
He further explained, “I am 29-years-old and have been doing the same things for a long time, so it takes a while to implement changes into my game but I think I am serving better than ever now. I am feeling very good and it’s very satisfying to get through
to the semi-finals here.”
Jurgen, who is currently ranked number eleven in the world by ATP, dropped to a 4-6 mark in ATP World Tour quarters in 2010.
Jarkko, as a result of his Friday’s victory will next meet the 2007 Bangkok runner-up Benjamin Becker. The German tennis player got the better of Daniel Brands in a two-setter clash on Friday. The final match score was 6-4, 6-2. The clash concluded in a
time period of fifty eight minutes in Bangkok. Both of them have previously played against each other in Flushing Meadows.
Meanwhile, World number one Rafael Nadal registered another inspiring victory as he progressed into the semi-final of the Thailand Open on Friday. Rafa surrendered only three points behind his serve, as he toppled Mikhail Kukushkin in a two-setter clash
in Bangkok. The final match score was 6-2, 6-3.
The Spaniard picked up where he left off in his opening clash of the competition, in which he dropped just two points on his first serve. The number one seed, managed to break on three occasions from eight opportunities as he sealed victory in a time period
of seventy one minutes on Friday.
The 24-year-old Nadal is through to his eleventh tour-level semi-final in what has been a sensational season. He is currently on a nine match winning streak, after successfully completing the career Grand Slam in New York back in September.
Rafa, as a result of his yesterday’s victory will next play his compatriot player Guillermo Garcia Lopez, who fought past Ernests Gulbis, a fourth seed in a three-setter clash in Bangkok. The final match score was 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3. The match concluded in
a time period of two hours on Friday.
World number fifty three Guillermo withstood ten aces from Ernests in the opening set, as he grabbed a one set lead in the tie-break, however within no time fell down 1-5 in the next set as the Latvian tennis ace forced a decider. The Spaniard came back
immediately, and broke serve to go 3-0 up before going on to record win.
The 27-year-old Garcia-Lopez is through to his first ATP World Tour semi-final since making his way into the final of Eastbourne, where he was eventually defeated by Llorda back in June. He also advanced into the final four in Estoril, and thus improved
to a match record of 24-19 on the year.
In the doubles action on Friday, the fourth seed duo of Jurgen Melzer and Jonathan Erlich advanced into their first ATP World Tour final in their first championship as a team at the Thailand Open in Bangkok.
Jonathan and Jurgen converted a total of five of nine break point chances to beat wild cards Kittipong Wachiramanowong and Dmitry Tursunov in a two-setter clash on Friday. The final match score was 6-4, 6-1. The clash concluded in a time period of sixty
two minutes in Bangkok.
In quarter-final round, Viktor Troicki and Christopher Kas toppled Ken Skupski and Colin Fleming 7-6(5), 6-4 in seventy one minutes.
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