Stanislas Wawrinka tumbles over Ivan Navarro to reach quarters – Estoril Open 2012
Seeded third in the tournament, Stanislas Wawrinka drilled past the Spanish qualifier, Ivan Navarro, with a breadstick at the Estoril Open 2012, an ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 series event taking place in Portugal. He penned
down a 7-6(5), 6-1 victory against the 30-year-old to advance into the final eight on Wednesday.
Wawrinka got the better of the world number 232 to power into the quarter-finals at this clay court event. After pocketing this match, the Swiss not only took lead in the head-to-head series by 1-0 against Navarro.
The Lausanne native made a slow start at the Estoril Court Central and suffered the first blow in the sixth game to trail at 2-4. However, he remained focused and not only snatched his break back in the very next game but held his remaining serves to impose
a tie-breaker. Wawrinka prevailed in it and clinched the opener with a 7-6(5) score line.
Ranked 22nd in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Wawrinka went out of control in the second set and stroke out the following five games in a row before the Spaniard could hold on. He then slid his serve once more to pocket the
breadstick.
All in all, Wawrinka brushed off three out of four breakpoints he came across and cashed in half of the six break opportunities to inch towards fourth career title. He also manifested a better first serve share of 68 per cent as compared to his opponent’s
53 per cent and amazingly availed 34 out of 46 points on it.
Next in line for Wawrinka is the Dutch number one Robin Haase. The sixth seed bounced over Spain’s Inigo Cervantes in a three set thriller to set-up this meeting. He lost his serve three times but broke the Spaniard’s serve five times to clobber a 5-7, 6-4,
6-2 victory.
The second seeded French, Richard Gasquet, slew Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi with double breadsticks to join Wawrinka in the last eight. He convincingly swiped in his entire serves and capitalised on five out of six break chances to steal the show and progress
at this event.
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