Santiago Giraldo, Blaz Kavcic advance to the second round of Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Santiago Giraldo defeats Thomaz Bellucci 7-5, 6-3
World number 54 Santiago Giraldo of Colombia upset world number 32, Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in the opening round at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Monday. Santiago took one hour and 46 minutes to
oust his opponent.
Both players broke each other twice in the first ten games of the opening set, levelling the score at 5-5. The Colombian broke Bellucci in the 12th game to win the first set 7-5.
Giraldo delivered a single ace and 70 percent of the first serves in the opening set. The Colombian won 67 percent of the points on his first serve in the opening set. Giraldo converted three of the five break points he received
in the first set.
After losing a close first set, Bellucci broke the Colombian in the opening game of the second set to take a 1-0 lead. However, Giraldo broke back immediately to level the score at 1-1. The 23-year-old broke again in the sixth
game, winning the second set 6-3.
The Colombian fired a couple of aces and a single double fault in the second set. The right-handed hit 58 percent of the first serves, winning 68 percent of the points on them in the second set.
Giraldo is drawn to meet world number 107 Albert Ramos of Spain in the second round.
Blaz Kavcic beats Tobias Kamke 6-2, 6-3
Slovakian Blaz Kavcic, ranked 87th in the world, thrashed world number 79 Tobias Kamke of Germany in straight sets to move to the second round. Kavcic dropped just five games in the entire match, winning it 6-2, 6-3
in one hour and 23 minutes.
The Slovakian broke Kamke twice in the first set, winning it 6-2. The 24-year-old served quiet well as he delivered 86 percent of the first serves in the opening set, converting 72 percent of them into points. In comparison, Kamke
hit 60 percent of the first serves and managed to win just 50 percent of the points on them.
In the second set, Kavcic broke his opponent in the third and seventh game to clinch the set 6-3. The Colombian fired two aces and a single double fault in the second set. The right-handed kept his first serve percentage at 75
percent and converted 71 percent of the first serves into points in the second set. Kavcic capitalized on all the three break point opportunities he received in the second set.
The Colombian will play either French Richard Gasquet, seeded ninth at the event, or world number 40 Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina in the next round.
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