Pere Riba defeats Andrey Golubev to move into the quarterfinal of Grand Prix Hassan II
World number 84 Pere Riba of Spain fought back after his first set drubbing to upset world number 40 Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan in three sets 0-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the second round at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca on Wednesday.
Riba took one hour and 35 minutes to undo his opponent.
Golubev crushed the Spaniard in the opening set, winning six straight games to claim the set 6-0. The Kazakh hit a single ace and the same number of double fault in the first set. He delivered 50 per cent of the first serves and
amazingly won 100 per cent of the points on them in the opening set. On the other hand, Riba served poorly as he hit 39 per cent of the first serves, converting just 29 per cent of them into points in the first set.
After losing the opening set abysmally, Riba looked a completely different player as he started to play aggressively in the second set. The Spaniard broke his opponent in the fourth and sixth game to win the second set 6-1.
Riba fired one ace and 35 per cent of the first serves in the second set. He won 88 per cent of first service points in the set. The Spaniard converted both break point opportunities he received in the second set. The 23-year-old
did not face any break point in the second set.
Riba and Golubev broke each other twice in the first ten games of the deciding set, levelling the score at 5-5. The Spaniard broke Golubev in the 11th game, winning the final set 7-5.
Riba hit a couple of aces and the same number of double faults in the third set. The Spanish improved his serve, delivering 59 per cent of the first serves and winning 76 per cent of the points on them in the final set. The right-handed
capitalized on three of the four break points he received in the third set. The Spaniard saved two of the four break points in the deciding set.
This is Riba’s second tour level win of the season. The Spaniard lost in the opening round of five of the six tournaments he has played this year. In his first tournament of the year, the six feet tall lost to Lukas Lacko of Slovakia
in three sets 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-7(4) in the round of 32 at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Riba was beaten by Alessio Di Mauro of Italy 6-1, 2-6, 6-7(5) in the first round of Berletta Challenger last week.
The Spaniard will play his compatriot Pablo Andujar, ranked 69th in the world, in the quarterfinals. Andujar defeated world number 51 Jeremy Chardy of France in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-1 in the second round.
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