Paul-Henri Mathieu makes epic comeback to oust Igor Andreev in round one – US Open 2012
Former world number 12, Paul-Henri Mathieu from France, bounced back to outmuscle the Russian in a five-set thriller at the US Open 2012 on Monday. He summed up a 2-6, 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-6(4), 6-1 victory against the world number 100 to power into the second
round at this last of the four Grand Slam events held at Flushing Meadows, New York City.
The French veteran re-ignited his spark to triumph over Andreev in their seventh battle against each other. After pulling out the victory, Mathieu improved to a 4-3 lifetime in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head series against
the 29-year-old and advanced into the round of 64 at this major hard court event.
The former Top 20, Andreev thundered into the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He drew the first blood in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Apart from levelling the scores in the very next game, the Russian unleashed his skills and wiped out
the last four games, sealing the opener with a 6-2 win.
Andreev carried his winning ways in the following set and got the critical break in the opening game to take the initial lead. He squandered his lead in the fourth game but quickly broke his rival’s serve once again and jumped to a 4-2 lead. The Russian
held his remaining serves and subsequently bagged the set by winning six games to four.
The 30-year-old rebounded in the follow-up set as he got the desiderated break in the second game and leaped to a 3-0 lead. He lost his edge in the seventh game but stayed calm, eventually prolonging the set to a tie-breaker. After points were 1-1, Mathieu
unveiled his true colours and clicked the set with a 7-6(1) success.
Currently ranked 128th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Mathieu held his composure in the fourth set. He smoothly pocketed his entire serves. Despite failing to get a breakthrough, the French star edged past his opponent in
the tie-breaker and consequently won the equaliser with a 7-6(4) score line.
The French veteran’s skills were fully polished in the final set which counted the most. He cashed in both break chances to pull out the decider with a breadstick.
Next up for Mathieu is the conqueror of the match between 15th seeded Milos Raonic from Canada and the Colombian challenger, Santiago Giraldo.
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