Paolo Lorenzi rallies past Erik Chvojka into the semi-finals – Jalisco Open 2012 CH
Third seed, Paolo Lorenzi of Italy, fought back after getting stunned in the first set to beat qualifier, Erik Chvojka of Canada, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 in the quarter-finals at the Jalisco Open Challenger tournament in Guadalajara,
Mexico on Friday. It took the Italian three hours and 19 minutes to come out victorious from a marathon match.
Lorenzi and Chvojka did not lose their serve throughout the first set, evening out the score at 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. The Canadian allowed his higher ranked opponent to win just three points, clinching it 7-6(3).
Chvojka committed six double faults in the opener. He would not have won the set if he had not dominated with his ground strokes, pocketing most of the long rallies. The Canadian saved all the three break points he faced in the
opener.
The 25-year-old was on course for a straight set win, securing opening two games to attain a 2-0 lead. However, Lorenzi had other plans in his mind, as he won six of the next eight games to claim it 6-4.
The Italian delivered one ace and the same number of double fault in the second set. The right-handed made full use of his opponent’s weak serves, as he captured 13 of the 26 first and seven of the 12 second return points. Chvojka
could not find a solution to his erratic second deliveries, hitting four double faults.
Lorenzi struck in the fourth game of the final set to attain a 3-1 lead but the Canadian bounced back to clinch next two, levelling the score at 3-3. The Italian made the decisive breakthrough in the eighth game and sealed it 6-3.
Just like the previous set, Lorenzi outclassed Chvojka with the help of his aggressive down the line returns, winning 19 of the 36 points on them in the decider. The Italian managed to save two of the three break risks he came
across and availed two of the seven of his opportunities.
Lorenzi is drawn to play world number 278, Roman Borvanov of Moldova, in the semi-finals. Borvanov ousted world number 155, Rajeev Ram of USA, in the quarter-final.
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