Steve Darcis breezes past Matthew Ebden into the second round – AEGON International 2012
Belgium’s Steve Darcis, ranked 72nd in the world, did not face much difficulty in routing the world number 75, Matthew Ebden of Australia, in straight sets in the first round of the AEGON International in Eastbourne,
England on Tuesday. The Belgian allowed Ebden to win just six games in the entire match, toppling him 6-2, 6-4 in just an hour and six minutes.
Darcis went up from the beginning of the match, as he broke the Australian in the first and third game, holding his own serves to race to a 4-0 lead. Ebden managed to break the bagel in the fifth and reduced the trail to 1-4 but
he succeeded in winning only one more, losing the first set 2-6.
The Belgian played superiorly in almost all departments of the game, smacking one ace and not committing any double faults. He maintained first serve percentage of 88 and converted 15 of the 21 points on them. The Saive, Belgium
resident also fared incredibly on the second deliveries and returns, securing two of the three and 10 of the 13 points on them respectively. The 28-year-old saved all the three break points he faced and converted two of the six he received in the second set.
In the second set, Darcis snatched a break in the opening game once again and consolidated on it to take a 2-0 lead. The rest of the proceedings went with the serve and the Belgian captured it 6-4.
The Belgian neither hit an ace nor committed any double fault in the second set. He put in 72 percent of the first serves and grabbed 17 of the 21 points on them. On the other hand, Ebden smacked one ace and 66 percent of the first
deliveries, clinching 14 of the 21 points. The Perth Australia resident failed to save one of the three break threats he came across and could not avail any of the three opportunities he created.
Darcis has now won 11 of the 21 tour level matches he has played in 2012. He lost to the then world number 17, Feliciano Lopez of Spain, in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 5-7 in the round of 32 at the AEGON Championships last week.
The Belgian will take on the former world number eight, Marcos Baghdatis, in the round of 16.
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