Pablo Andujar lifts maiden trophy at the 2011 Grand Prix Hassan II
Unseeded Spanish pro Pablo Andujar surprised spectators at the 2011 Grand Prix Hassan II, ousting fifth seed Potito Starace in straight sets to win his first Association of Tennis Professionals title. The player, who was definitely
the underdog in the match, took less than an hour and fifteen minutes to upset Italian pro Potito Starace 6-1, 6-2. The Spanish pro stayed in control of the match throughout, and did not allow Starace to take over the gameplay.
Andujar was ranked World Number 69 at the time of this match, two spots behind his best-ever ranking. He has been part of the ATP since 2004, and had not won a single title for seven years. This was a breakthrough performance for
the player, who ousted players such as top seed Albert Montanes in the course of the tournament. He concluded his victory at this title match with an overhead smash to win an impressive 59 per cent of the total points in the match.
The player had been slightly nervous before the match, although his victory against compatriot Albert Montanes had definitely given him a boost of confidence. Despite this, the prospect of facing Starace was not an easy one for
him. Perhaps his ease at the match came from the knowledge that he had performed beyond everyone’s expectations at the tournament.
The player spoke to press a day before the meeting, saying, “I went match by match during the whole week without ever thinking about the final. I have nothing to lose and I’m looking forward to the final.” He need not have worried,
as the Sunday match saw him defeating the Italian pro in straight sets with a breadstick in the first one. This led him to win the Casablanca tournament, which is worth $450,000.
As a pro, Potito Starace has played against Andujar twice before, beating him in both encounters. All their meetings have been on clay, and they first met in the 2007 Valencia tournament in the round of the last 16. Starace won
the encounter in three sets, before beating him once again at Satniago earlier this year. Their head-to-head record is now 2-1 to Potito Starace. However, Andujar’s victory has helped him to reach an all-time high ranking at World Number 52.
This is the fourth title match which Starace is losing, making his overall career final record 4-0. He is yet to win his first title, but took the defeat well, saying, “He played a great match ... he was playing a very high level.”
“I was very confident before the match. I thought about winning and yesterday’s win gave me a lot of confidence. I played in a way that made him tired, being very aggressive and making him run a lot,” said Pablo Andujar, acknowledging
his great showing at the event.
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