Radek Stepanek ousts Wayne Odesnik in 2nd round – Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011
Wednesday’s second round match at the rain plagued Legg Mason Tennis Classic, marked a long awaited come back to professional tennis for American Wayne Odesnik. However, Odesnik who returned to the main draws of an ATP tournament
after a 16 months suspension for smuggling performance enhancing drugs to Sydney, lost 6-1, 6-1 to Czech Radek Stepanek in fewer than 58 minutes.
Lady luck had shined upon Odesnik when top seed Mardy Fish had to withdraw from the tournament due to an injured heel, giving lucky loser Odesnik a privileged spot in the main draw and a first round bye. Although he’s never tested
positive for the drug, the ban ensued that he lost all of his ranking points that had propelled him to a career high No. 77. However, in six months after his ban was lifted the American has regained the 161st spot from nothing but still faces severe
criticism from colleagues occasionally.
"I just wanted to beat him. For me, it didn't matter what his past was," was what Stepanek told media after his roaring success. The former World No. 8 came into the tournament at Washington with a 17-16 win loss mark and had clocked
in a third round performance at the clay courts of Hamburg in early July. Having received a first round bye in last year’s edition of the Legg Mason, Stepanek had lost his opening match to Marco Chiudinelli.
The two contenders’ have previously only met once, in Brisbane 2010 on Odesnik's ill-fated Australian tour. Stepanek had won the match 7-6(2), 6-1 but the results had been declared void, like every other match Odesnik had played
prior to it.
Play halted only after the first game of the match due to the intermittent rain, with Odesnik holding the serve. However the American was no match for Stepanek who managed to connect a 100% of his serves to wreak havoc on his opponent.
The Czech won 12 points off his 13 serves while Odesnik struggled to manage only 42% first serve points. Not facing even a single breakpoint, Stepanek obliterated the lucky loser by successfully breaking Odesnik’s serves thrice. A hapless Odesnik was visibly
frustrated and called for a bathroom break only 30 minutes into the match. The set however easily closed in Stepanek’s account at 6-1.
The second set followed precedent and Stepanek again won a comfortably conceived bread stick victory. Despite serving at a much lower 50% accuracy, Stepanek managed to win 91% of his first serve points and again registered 2 decisive
serve breaks.
Stepanek’s win helps him move further to the tournament’s third round. He is now scheduled to play against sixteenth seed Jarkko Nieminen on Thursday. Nieminen had convincingly won his second round match against Russian Igor Kunitsyn
in two straight sets.
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