Pablo Andujar rallies past Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol into the last four – Grand Prix Hassan II 2012
Defending champion, Pablo Andujar of Spain, carried on after the bashing in second set to beat world number 544, Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarter-final at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca on Friday.
Andujar made a great start, as he snatched breaks in the first and third game to build a 3-0 advantage. Gutierrez-Ferrol pulled one back but Andujar struck again to stretch his lead to 5-2. The lower ranked Spaniard hit once again
in the seventh game but that effort could not save him, losing it 4-6.
The 26-year-old, Andujar, gave an average serve performance, as he was unable to hit any ace and committed two double faults. The Spaniard kept his first delivery percentage at 52, converting eight of the 13 of them into points.
However, he did a good job on the replies to his opponent’s serves, securing seven of the 16 first and nine of the 13 second return points in the opener.
Gutierrez-Ferrol altered his technique and looked like a completely different player in the second set, as he grabbed first five games to attain a 5-0 lead. Andujar saved himself from getting humiliated, opening his account by
holding his following serve to take the score to 1-5. Gutierrez-Ferrol closed out the set in the next game, sealing it 6-1.
The 23-year-old dominated in all departments of the game, as he pounded three aces and did not hit any double fault. He was almost error free on the first serves and second returns, claiming 12 of the 13 and nine of the 14 points
on them respectively. Gutierrez-Ferrol did not come across any break threat and availed both of the chances he received.
Unlike the first two sets, both players held their serve in the first seven games to take the score to 4-3 in Andujar’s favour. He made the decisive breakthrough at that moment and consolidated on it to win 6-3.
The Spaniard improved his serve, as he got rid of the double faults and put in 79 percent of the first deliveries, pocketing 17 of the 23 points on them. He lost only one point on the second serves, grabbing five of the six. Andujar
required an hour and 33 minutes to win the contest.
The Valencia, Spain resident is drawn to play world number 85, Flavio Cipolla of Italy, in the semi-final. Cipolla ousted Benoit Paire in straight sets in the last match.
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