Peter Luczak advances to semis in Morocco Challenger event
Australian Peter Luczak destroyed Czech Dusan Lojdain their quarterfinal match in Morocco on Thursday. Playing at the 2011 Rabat Challenger, Luckzak registered a 6-1, 6-2 score to advance into the semis.
Ranked 178th in the world, Luczak had a really poor start of the season and was ousted from qualifiers at Sydney, Costa do Sauipe, Buenos Aires and Acapulco. But in this event he overpowered the Czech through his awesome tact. He outranked the Czech in every statistic.
In the Opening set, the 31-year-old Luczak broke the youngster’s serve in the very first game through his powerful and accurate shots. He only conceded a single game and converting three opportunities to his advantage, won the first set 6-1. He fired three ferocious aces and though he had an acceptable first serve percentage of 56 percent as compared to Lojda’s slightly lower 54 percent, he earned an impressive 80 percent win on it. He also earned a more return points than the world number 232, Lojda.
The Australian carried his winning momentum to the final set and held his serve amazingly. With his top notch performance, he converted two breakpoint opportunities to his advantage and hammering seven massive aces clinched the set with a 6-2 score line. He had a much better first serve percentage this time and registered an awesome 92 percent win on it. The Czech on the other hand roared back but could only manage to hold his serve twice. Furthermore, Lojda double faulted three times, played poorly near the net, and was able to only save two out of four breakpoints.
He will next face Tunisian Malek Jaziri who reached this spot after dumping the Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta in straight sets.
Another player who advanced to the semis was Slovakian Martin Klizan who overwhelmed Spanish Guillermo Alcaide 7-6(7), 6-3.
Meeting each other for the first time, the 169th ranked Slovakian displayed his tremendous skills in the first set and hammered two aces. He registered an impressive 77 percent win on his slightly lower first serve percentage but due to an exchange of break, the set went to tiebreaker. Both players fought well in the tiebreaker but the Slovakian edge past Spaniard in the end to clinch the set 7-6(7).
Both players gave an amazing display of tennis in the final set as well and were evenly matched. They double faulted twice but Klizan triumphed over the Spaniard by breaking Alcaide’s serve twice. He saved four out of five breakpoints and registered a spectacular 68 percent win on his lower first serve percentage to win the set 6-3.
Klizan’s next opponent is Czech Ivo Minar who reached the semis after defeating Argentinean Federico Del Bonis in straight sets.
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