Stefan Kozlov topples Daniel Masur in the first round – Boys’ Singles: Wimbledon Championships 2012
Stefan Kozlov of USA bounced back after losing the opener to beat Germany’s Daniel Masur in three sets 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the opening round of the boys’ singles event at the Wimbledon Championships on Monday. The American claimed
victory after a tough match of one hour and 37 minutes.
Kozlov did not allow Masur to settle down in the match, as he broke the German in the opening game and consolidated on it to take a 2-0 advantage. He struck again in the seventh one to increase his lead to 5-2 but he could not
capitalise on the advantage, losing five games in a row to go down 5-7.
Masur smashed one ace and the same number of double faults in the opener. The German kept his first serve percentage at 71 and claimed 19 of the 30 points on them. In comparison, Kozlov fired three aces and 56 percent of the first
serves, clinching 11 of the 19 points. He grabbed seven of the 15 second deliveries and 18 of the 43 returns. The American hit eight winners and committed six unforced errors.
After getting surprised in the opener, Kozlov made a similar start in the second set, as he claimed breakthrough in the very first game and held his subsequent serve to attain a 2-0 lead. Though, the American made the most of his
advantage this time, as he struck again in the seventh and served it out at 5-2.
Kozlov hit a single ace and did not commit any double fault, keeping his first serve percentage at 63 and converting amazingly 11 of the 12 of them into points. His performance on the second deliveries was also impressive, as he
grabbed five of the seven.
The start of the decider was not different from the first two, as Kozlov struck in the very first game and won his following serve to build a 2-0 lead. The American broke again in the third and consolidated on it to stretch his
advantage to 4-0. Kozlov allowed his opponent to win one game but nothing more than that, sealing it 6-1.
The American will take on Great Britain’s fifth seed, Liam Broady, in the second round.
Tags: