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Stephane Robert downs Horacio Zeballos in quarterfinal – Sparkassen Open 2011 CH

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Stephane Robert downs Horacio Zeballos in quarterfinal – Sparkassen Open 2011 CH
French Stephane Robert bounced back from being one set down against Argentine Horacio Zeballos to move into the semi-final at the 2011 Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig, Germany. Played on clay courts, the event is part of the ATP
Challenger Tour.
Separated by only four places in the ranking, the higher ranking prevailed as Robert downed the Argentine to win their first ever meeting on courts. The Frenchman took close to two hours and five minutes as he registered a 3-6,
7-6(7), 6-2 win over the Argentine.
Starting the first set on a weak note, Robert sent several shots long and wide allowing himself to be broken early on. Despite hitting no aces and two doubles faults, Zeballos registered a 70 percent win on his first serve as he
successfully converted two of two breakpoint opportunities to his advantage. Clinching the first set 6-3, Zeballos took a lead in the first set.
However, playing true to his higher ranking, Robert bounced back in the second set as he matched blow for blow, forcing the scoreboard to tick on even terms. With neither player converting a break opportunity to their advantage,
the score remained levelled throughout eventually forcing a tiebreaker at six games each.
Even in the tiebreaker, neither player would let up. A neck to neck run kept the score tied for fourteen points. Capitalising on the mini-break in the tiebreaker, Robert was able to clinch two successive points, closing the tiebreaker
at 9-7 and levelling the set score to one set each.
Entering the decider, Robert successfully converted a breakpoint opportunity to his advantage in the third game and holding onto his own service games, led the set 3-1. A successful hold of serve later, Robert led the score at
4-2. A costly double fault from Zeballos gave Robert another break in the seventh game. Leading the set 5-2, Robert successfully served out the set without losing any points. 
Robert had previously survived a mid match lapse to do away with top seeded Pere Riba in three sets. The Frenchman now moves on ahead to play either Portuguese Frederico Gil or Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy in the semi-final.

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