Ricardo Mello battles past Facundo Bagnis into the second round – Campinas Challenger 2012
Seventh seed, Ricardo Mello of Brazil, fought back after dropping the first set to undo the world number 170, Facundo Bagnis of Argentina, 3-6, 6-4,7-6(2) in the first round of the Campinas Challenger in Brazil on Monday.
The Brazilian needed two hours and 12 minutes to throw his rival out of the competition.
Mello made the best possible start, as he stung a break in the very first game to move ahead 1-0 but he could not consolidate on it, taking the score to 1-1 later on. Bagnis did not stop there, winning three more in a row to build
a 4-1 lead. The Argentinean made the most of his advantage and sealed the opener 6-3.
The left-hander did not hit any ace and committed one double fault, hitting 67 percent of the first serves and securing nine of the 14 points on them. The 31-year-old gave a pretty ordinary performance on the replies, as he won
just six of the 20 first and two of the six second delivery points.
Mello and Bagnis held their serve in the first nine games of the second set, taking the score to 5-4 in favour of the latter. The Brazilian contender failed to hold his serve at that moment, closing it 6-4.
Bagnis hit a single ace and committed the same number of double fault in the second set, keeping his first delivery percentage at 60. The 22-year-old had a good conversion rate, pocketing 11 of the 18 first and nine of the 12 second
serve points. Mello did not provide any break opportunity to his opponent and availed one of the two chances he received.
In the final set, Bagnis hit a blow to Mello in the first game and consolidated on it to move ahead 2-0. The Argentinean maintained his lead till 5-4 but failed to serve out the match at that moment, equalising the proceedings
at 5-5. The following two games went with serve, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. Mello and Bagnis went neck to neck till 2-2 but then the former completely dominated the proceedings, capturing five points in a row to close it 7-6(2).
The Brazilian player neither hit an ace nor committed any double fault, putting in 59 percent of the fist serves and clinching 16 of the 23 points on them.
Mello will face his compatriot, Andre Ghem, in the round of 16 of this event.
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