Radek Stepanek edges John Isner in the first round – Western & Southern Open 2011
Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek, ranked 29th in the world, won 300th match of his career as he defeated world number 27 John Isner of USA in three sets 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(4) in the first round at the Western and
Southern Open in Cincinnati on Tuesday. The Czech needed two hours and 46 minutes to win a hard fought match.
Stepanek and the American held their serve in the first eleven game of the first set to take the score to 6-5 in favour of the Czech. Just when the set was expected to go into a tie-break, Stepanek broke Fish in the twelfth game
to clinch it 7-5.
The Monte Carlo, Monaco resident was difficulties in delivering his second serves correctly as he committed a horrible four double faults in the first set. Stepanek, however, compensated that by claiming an incredible twenty of
the 24 first service points. On the other hand, Isner served brilliantly, delivering a whopping 88 percent of the first serves and six aces in the opening set. However, the American could not return well as he won just four of the 24 first return points and
he failed to save the only break points he faced in the first set.
In the second set, Stepanek and Isner once again served quite well as they held their serve in the first ten games to tie the score at 5-5. However, Isner succeeded in clinching a break of serve in the eleventh game and consolidated
on it to bag the set 7-5.
The American continued to win most of the points on his serve, firing four aces and capturing a whopping 22 of the 25 first service points in the second set. The right-handed also returned impressively as he won six of the nineteen
first return points compared to three out of 25 by his opponent in the second set.
Isner and the Czech put on a serving display throughout the third set as the held all their serves to square off the score at 6-6, taking the set to a tie-break. Stepanek hit two back-hand winners to claim a couple of mini-breaks
and capitalised on them to seal the tie-break 7-4.
The 32-year-old withstood eleven aces from his opponent and fired three of his own in the third set. The Czech also converted 23 of the 30 first serves into points in the final set.
Stepanek will take on world number 101 Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan in the second round.
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