Radek Stepanek dodges Andreas Seppi to reach round two – Gerry Weber Open 2012
World number 26, Radek Stepanek, won a gruelling three-setter against the 24th ranked Italian, Andreas Seppi, to clear the opening round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle on Tuesday. Finals scores in favour of the 33-year-old
Czech were 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(7).
A world class battle between the two experienced players was witnessed by the German crowd. Seppi was the seventh seed player of the tournament and became the first seeded players to leave the arena a bit early than expected.
However, the upset was on the cards especially considering that the 24th ranked Italian has never won a single match against Stepanek. It was the fifth straight win for the Czech tennis professional and one of them came
earlier this year in the Davis Cup draw when the world witnessed a taxing five setter between the two veterans of tennis.
The opening set started with a breakthrough for the Czech who went on to consolidate his position with a serve hold. However, he squandered the lead in the fourth game; losing a breakpoint to Seppi and that levelled the scores
at 2-2. Stepanek was tested in the sixth game of the match as well but managed to save a breakpoint to hold serve. The tables were turned upon the Italian in the ninth game when he was forced to dig deep and hold serve.
However, no breakpoints were dropped by both contenders throughout the remaining part of the set that enforced that tie-breaker round into play. With just a slight hesitance from the Italian in 11th rally of the tie-break,
Stepanek took a mini-break and rounded off the opening set but with nothing at all to spare.
The second set witnessed an early breakthrough for the Italian in the third game and he capitalized on his serves masterfully to clasp on to that lead until the end. The Czech star tried his best couldn’t find an opening to break
serve back and bring the scores on level terms.
Final set was expected to be a very tight battle and it turned out to be an extremely tough contest. No breakthroughs were contested throughout the set. There was an opportunity for the Czech to break serve in the 10th
game but he squandered it with a sloppy shot that landed just long. Another tie-breaker round was enforced and again the silly mistake from Seppi cost him the match.
Radek Stepanek will lock horns with Cedrik-Marcel Stebe of Germany in the next round.
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