Richard Berankis ousts Dmitry Tursunov to enter round two – BB&T Atlanta Open 2012
Lithuanian qualifier, Richard Berankis, tumbled the Russian contestant, Dmitry Tursunov, in straight sets at the BB&T Atlanta Open 2012 on Tuesday. He clobbered a 6-3, 6-2 victory against the world number 136 to progress into the second round at this ATP
(Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 series event held in Johns Creek, Georgia.
Berankis displayed his true potential to overpower the former world number 20 and moved a step closer towards his maiden career title. After earning the spotlight in one hour and 15 minutes, the Lithuanian assertively booked a spot in the round of 16 at
this outdoor hard court event taking place from 14th to 22nd July.
The 22-year-old made a powerful entry at the Atlantic Station and went on a four-game tear before Tursunov could hold on. Berankis lost his serve in the eighth game but quickly broke his rival’s serve once again and sealed the opener by winning six games
to three.
Ranked 147th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Berankis maintained his intensity in the following set and after earning the coveted break in the second game, he jumped to a 3-0 lead. The Lithuanian swiped his remaining serves
after blocking the lone breakpoint he faced and cashed in another break opportunity in the last game, subsequently clinching the set with a 6-2 score line.
Overall, the Vilnius native sought 11 break opportunities out of which he converted five to his advantage. He also clobbered a slightly better first serve share of 45 per cent as opposed to his rival’s 44 per cent and impressively availed 20 out of 25 points
on it.
Next up for the Lithuanian is third seeded Kei Nishikori who received a first round bye after being the top four players at this tournament.
The local qualifier, Alex Kuznetsov, faced a different fate later that day. He was edged out by his compatriot, Michael Russell, in troublesome three sets in two hours and 19 minutes. Russell broke his opponent’s serve four times but brushed off nine out
of 12 breakpoints he came across, eventually suffering a 6-2, 4-6, 6-7(4) defeat in their second outing.
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