Potro/ Stepanek triumph over Haider-Maurer/Oswald in round of 8 – Erste Bank Open 2011
The Argentinean Czech tandem of Juan Martin Del Potro and Radek Stepanek eased past local wild card entrants, Andreas Haider-Maurer and Philipp Oswald, in straight sets at the Erste Bank Open 2011, an ATP World Tour 250 series
event taking place on the indoor hard courts in Vienna, Austria. They registered a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Austrians to secure a last four spot on Thursday.
Ranked 118th in the ATP World Tour Doubles rankings, Del Potro and Stepanek remained focus throughout the match to eventually overpower their opponents in straight sets in an hour and thirteen minutes.
Playing together for the third time, the Argentinean Czech duo made a nervy entry at the Weiner Stadthalle as they lost their opening serve and went 2-0 down. However, they improved their co-ordination and after breaking Maurer
and Oswald’s serve twice, they pocketed the opener with a 6-4 score line.
Del Potro and Stepanek failed to fend off the only breakpoint came across but capitalised on two out of six breakpoint opportunities to their advantage. They also produced a lower first serve share but registered a tremendous 67
percent win on it.
The Argentinean Czech conjunction carried their momentum into the final set. After the wild card enterers held their serve in the first game, they displayed exceptional tennis to go on a three games tear. Regardless of losing their
serve in the sixth game, Del Potro and Stepanek broke the Austrians’ serve again to subsequently seal the set by winning six games to four.
The Argentinean Czech duo again failed to brush off the only breakpoint faced but converted two out of three breakpoint opportunities to their advantage. The beaming team also clobbered a better first serve share of 73 percent
as compared to the Austrians’ 70 percent and earned a spectacular 75 percent win on it.
They will square off against the second seeds, Belarusian Max Mirnyi and Canadian Daniel Nestor, who bounced to register a 6-7(3), 6-2, 10-6 victory over the Italians, Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.
The Italians lost their serve once and after cashing in on the only breakpoint opportunity to his advantage, they dragged the set to a tie-breaker. Bolelli and Fognini dominated to bag the opener with a 7-6(3) win.
The second seeded tandem quickly refocused and after capitalising on both breakpoint chances to their advantage, they secured the equaliser with a 6-2 success.
In the super tie-breaker, Mirnyi and Nestor showed their true colours and after dominating throughout the decider, they clinched it with a 10-6 score line.
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