Radek Stepanek, Kevin Anderson proceed to the third round – AEGON Championships 2011
Radek Stepanek beats Ivan Ljubicic 0-6, 7-5, 6-4
Former world number 8, Czech Radek Stepanek, currently ranked 57th in the world, fought back after the first set drubbing to prevail over world number 37 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in three sets 0-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the second
round of AEGON Championships at the Queen’s Club in London on Wednesday. Stepanek took an hour and 48 minutes to beat his opponent in a tough clash.
Ljubicic made full use of his opponent’s poor start in the first set as he grabbed six consecutive games, breaking the Czech thrice and winning the set 6-0. Stepanek did not hit any ace, committing two double faults and winning
a meagre 44 percent of the first service points in the opening set. In comparison, Ljubicic fired two aces and amazingly won 100 percent of the first service points in the first set.
The Czech came back in the second set, breaking the Croatian in the eleventh game to win the set 7-5. Stepanek improved his serve, hitting two aces and 78 percent of the first serves, sealing 75 percent of the points on them in
the second set.
Carrying the winning momentum into the deciding set, the 32-year-old broke Ljubicic in the first game and claimed the set 6-4. Stepanek saved the only break point he faced and converted one of the three break points he received
in the final set.
The Czech will face world number 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain in the round of 16.
Kevin Anderson defeats Donald Young 6-2, 6-4
World number 39 and fifteenth seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa thrashed world number 124 Donald Young of USA in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 to qualify for the third round. The match lasted for an hour and twelve minutes.
Anderson sailed through the opening set, breaking the American twice and winning the set 6-2. The South African fired five aces and kept his first serve percentage at 62 percent, winning a whopping 88 percent of the first service
points in the opening set. The six feet and eight inches tall defended both break points he faced and converted two of the three break points on Young’s serve in the first set.
The 25-year-old needed a single break of serve in the second set, winning it 6-4. The Johannesburg citizen delivered four aces and 78 percent of the first serves in the second set. Anderson attacked American’s serve as he bagged
33 percent of the first return points in the second set. The South African capitalised on one of the four break points he created on left-hander’s serve in the second set.
Anderson will take on American Andy Roddick, seeded third at the event, in the round of 16. Roddick defeated Spain's Feliciano Lopez in the second round.
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