Pere Riba, Guillaume Rufin advance to the main draw of Open de Nice Côte d’Azur
Pere Riba beats Michael Russell 6-2, 6-1
World number 65 Pere Riba of Spain crushed world number 91 Michael Russell of USA in straight sets in the final qualifier of Open de Nice Côte d’Azur at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club in Nice on Sunday. The Spaniard dropped just three
games in the entire match, winning it 6-2, 6-1 in only an hour and four minutes.
Riba broke Russell in the third and seventh game of the opening set, claiming it 6-2. The Spaniard hit a single ace and 52 percent of the first serves, grabbing a whopping 85 percent of the points on them in the first set. The
23-year-old converted two of the five break points and saved the only break point he faced in the opening set.
In the second set, Riba was almost flawless as he allowed his opponent to win only one game, breaking the American twice to win it 6-1. The right-handed kept his first serve percentage at 50 percent and won 78 percent of the points
on the first serve in the second set. The Spaniard did not face a single break point and capitalized on both break point opportunities he created on Russell’s serve in the second set.
Riba is drawn to meet French Guillaume Rufin in the first round of the main draw.
Guillaume Rufin defeats Nicolas Renavand 6-2, 6-1
French Guillaume Rufin, ranked 255th in the world, breezed past his compatriot Nicolas Renavand, ranked 388th in the world, in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 to reach the main draw. The match lasted for just an hour
and three minutes.
The French broke Renavand twice in the first set, bagging it 6-2. Rufin served quite well, delivering four aces and 73 percent of the first serves in the opening set. The 20-year-old claimed 81 percent of the first service points
in the first set. The French captured two of the four break points he received in the opening set.
Rufin carried the winning momentum into the second set and crushed his opponent, breaking him thrice in the second set. Renavand managed to claim just a single game, losing the set 1-6.
Rufin fired five aces and 50 percent of the first serves in the second set, grabbing 64 percent of the points on them. On the other hand, Renavand had a lower first serve percentage as he hit just 46 percent of the first serves
and converted 64 percent of them into points. Rufin saved both break points he faced and won three of the six break points he received on Renavand’s serve in the second set.
The French will take on Spaniard Pere Riba in the opening match of the main round.
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