Stephane Robert slays Andres Molteni in opening round – Tennislife Cup 2011 CH
Seventh seeded French Stephane Robert slaughtered Argentinean Andres Molteni with double breadsticks at the Tennislife Cup 2011, an ATP Challenger Tour event held on the clay courts in Greenpark Posillipo in Napoli, Italy. He registered
an incredible 6-1, 6-1 score line against the 23-year-old Argentinean to secure a second round spot on Tuesday.
The Montargis resident, Robert put up a brilliant display of his skills and abilities to crush the Argentinean, ranked 199th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour rankings, in an hour. Facing each other for the
first time, the Frenchman not only registered this amazing score line but also advanced inched towards the €42,500 prize money.
31-year-old Robert wiped out first three games in a row through blistering forehands from his arsenal of skills. After Molteni came on score sheet for the first time in the fourth game, the Frenchman re-kindled his spark and won
the next three games consecutively to earn the breadstick.
Molteni got back on track in the opening game as he held his serve convincingly. However, the Frenchman blasted him away after reeling off next six games in a row to earn the second breadstick.
Overall, Robert clobbered a lower first serve share of 61 percent as opposed to the Argentinean’s 77 percent but he registered an exceptional 95 percent win on it. He further spiced the match by facing zero breakpoint and by converting
five out of seven breakpoint opportunities to his advantage.
Next up for the seed is another Argentinean, Leonardo Mayer who made an epic comeback from 6-1 down to register a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over a local qualifier Ricardo Bellotti on their first meeting.
World number 464, Bellotti quickly made on track after unleashing flurry of groundstrokes to reel off first five games in a row. After Mayer showed himself on score board for the first time in the sixth game, the Italian held his
serve again to earn a breadstick.
The Argentinean, ranked 117th in the ATP rankings, raised the bar of his game in the second set. He smoothly bagged in entire serves without facing any obstacle or a breakpoint and converted one out of two breakpoint
opportunities to his advantage in the last game to seal the equaliser by winning seven games to five.
In the final set, Mayer maintained his composure to take the first blood in the second game. Despite losing his edge in the fifth game, he broke Bellotti’s serve again in the last game to clinch the decider with a 7-5 win.
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