Simone Bolelli surprises Florian Mayer in the second round – Bet-at-home Cup 2012
Italy’s low ranked player, Simone Bolelli, made the biggest upset of the event so far, as he toppled the second seed, Florian Mayer of Germany, in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(4) to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Bet-at-home
Cup on Wednesday.
This is an ATP World Tour 250 event, being organized on the clay courts in Kitzbuhel.
Bolelli has reached the quarter-finals on the ATP World Tour for the first time in 2012. He had a poor win/loss record of 4-8 in tour level tournaments before Bet-at-home Cup. The Italian had given his previous best performance
at the AEGON Championships last month, where he had stunned the then world number 13, Gilles Simon, to reach the round of 16.
This week and the coming one are a great chance for the low ranked players to improve their standings. Almost all of the top players are in London to represent their countries at the Olympic Games. These less unfortunate players,
who failed to qualify for the biggest sports event on earth, have got something positive in this way.
Talking about the match between Bolelli and Mayer, the Italian looked the better player from the start of the match. He held his opening serve without losing any point and gave a tough time to Mayer in the second game but the German
managed to escape. However, Bolelli succeeded in making a breakthrough in the fourth and consolidated on it to go up 4-1. The Italian struck for the second time in the eighth game, closing it 6-2.
Bolelli and Mayer began the second set by winning their first serves to even out the score at 1-1. The German hit a blow in the third one and held his following serve to gain a 3-1 lead. Bolelli broke back in the eighth and squared
off the proceedings at 4-4. The rest of the set went with the serves, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. Bolelli and Mayer went neck to neck till 4-4 but then the Italian snatched three point in a row to win 7-6(4).
The 6ft tall hit just one ace and committed two double faults in the match. On the other hand, Mayer banged in five aces and did not make any double fault.
Bolelli needed just an hour and 39 minutes to stun his opponent in a one sided encounter.
The Italian will now lock horns with the fifth seed, Martin Klizan, in the quarter-finals.
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