Radek Stepanek overcomes Dustin Brown to reach the quarterfinals of BMW Open
Czech Radek Stepanek, ranked 67th in the world, battled past qualifier Dustin Brown of Germany in three thrilling sets 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-3 in the second round at the BMW Open in Munich on Thursday. The Czech took two
hours and 49 minutes to beat his opponent in a marathon contest.
Stepanek and Brown exchanged two breaks of serve in the first 12 games of the opening set, levelling the score at 6-6 to force a tie-break. The Czech produced a stunning back-hand winner to claim a single mini-break in the tie-break,
clinching it 8-6.
The 32-year-old did not hit any ace and committed two double faults in the first set. Stepanek delivered 71 percent of the first serves, winning 62 percent of the points on them in the opening set. On the other hand, Brown fired
nine aces and 62 percent of the first serves, converting 59 percent of them into points. The German could save five of the seven break points he faced in the first set. Brown capitalized on two of the four break point opportunities he created in the opening
set.
The proceedings in the second set were not much different from the opening set as both players broke each other twice, taking the set to a tie-break. However, this time it was Brown who managed to clinch a mini-break in the tie-break,
winning it 7-5.
The German fired six aces and 64 percent of the first serves in the second set. The 26-year-old won 68 percent of the first service points in the second set. Brown converted two of the nine break point opportunities he received
in the second set. The right-handed was able to save two of the four break points he faced in the second set.
In the final set, Stepanek broke his opponent in the sixth game and consolidated on the single break of serve to win the set 6-3.
The Czech hit a single ace and three double faults in the third set. The right-handed kept his first serve percentage at 54 percent and converted 70 percent of them into points in the deciding set. Stepanek saved all the five break
points he faced in the final set. The Czech won one of the three break points he received in the third set.
In his previous match, Stepanek defeated Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan in three sets 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
The Czech is slated to take on world number 42 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in the quarterfinals. The German cruised past his compatriot Denis Gremelmayr, ranked 105th in the world, 6-3, 6-3 in the second round.
This will be the fifth meeting between these two. Stepanek leads Kohlschreiber 3-1 in the head-to-head record.
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