Robby Ginepri ousts Paolo Lorenzi in the opening round – BNP Paribas Open 2012
Former world number 15, Robby Ginepri of USA, bounced back after getting thrashed in the first set to beat Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Thursday.
It took the American two hours and eight minutes to rally past his opponent.
Lorenzi made a great start to the match. He let Ginepri claim only one game in the opener, snatching a couple of breaks and capitalising on them to bag it 6-1.
The Italian outsmarted Ginepri with his aggressive down the line returns. He clinched an incredible seven of the nine points on the second ones. Lorenzi put away all the three break threats he faced in the opener.
Both players broke each other once in the first half of the second set. Ginepri made the second breakthrough to win it 6-3.
Ginepri pounded two aces and committed one double fault in the second set. The American delivered 50 percent of his first serves correctly and converted 11 of the 17 of them into points. The 29-year-old did what Lorenzi had done
in the first set, send powerful second replies. Ginepri grabbed six if the nine of them.
Just like the second set, three serves were broken in the decider. Ginepri succeeded, as two of them belonged to him. The American served out the set in the tent game, claiming it 6-4.
Although Ginepri won the final set, he served poorly. The American was erratic on his second deliveries, committing a couple of double faults and winning just six of the 13 points on them. Nevertheless, Ginepri saved two of the
three break threats he came across and availed two of the eight opportunities he created in the final set.
Currently ranked 211th in the world, Ginepri once used to be a top 20 player in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. The American broke his left elbow in a bike accident two years back. The Kennesaw, USA resident
came into lime light when he reached the semi-finals at the US Open in 2005.
On his comeback, Ginepri said, "I'm more motivated now than I have been for a long time. I see that tennis isn't such a bad thing after all. It put a lot of things in perspective the nine months I sat. I'm pretty hungry to play."
The American will take on 23rd seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the second round.
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