Steve Darcis sweeps past Arnau Brugues-Davi into last eight – IPP Trophy 2011 CH
Second seeded Belgian Steve Darcis outmuscled Arnau Brugues-Davi of Spain in straight sets at the IPP Trophy 2011, an ATP Challenger Tour event taking place on the clay courts in Geneva, Switzerland. He formulated a 6-3, 6-3 victory
against the 26-year-old Spaniard to advance into the quarter-finals on Thursday.
The Liege native Darcis put up a solid display of tennis to overcome the Spaniard, ranked 135th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour rankings, on their first meeting. After an hour and seventeen minutes long rally
between the two stars, the higher ranked subsequently proved his class and advanced into the quarters of the 24th edition of this challenger series.
Darcis made a nervy entry on the Swiss clay courts and gifted away his opening serve in the second game to trail 0-2. However, he lifted his game after wards and went on a four games killing spree before Davi could hold on again.
The Belgian kept his spark lit and broke again in the last game to bag the opener by winning six games to three.
He failed to fend off the only breakpoint faced but capitalised on three out of eight breakpoint opportunities to his advantage. Mustering the set further, the Belgian clobbered a higher first serve share of 59 percent as compared
to Spaniard’s 53 percent and registered a magnificent 63 percent win on it. He made this success further convincing by hammering seven aces.
27-year-old Belgian went out of control in the final set as he bombarded massive groundstrokes to go on a four games rampage before losing his serve in the fifth game. Darcis maintained his composure and after keeping remaining
serves, he pocketed the set with a 6-3 victory again.
The Belgian brushed off three out of four breakpoints came across and cashed in half of the four breakpoint opportunities to his advantage. He again smacked seven aces to put a cherry on the set and earned a splendid 72 percent
win on his higher first serve share.
Next up for the seed is a local wild card entrant, Stephane Bohli who dominated in two set tie-breakers to edge over German Bjorn Phau on their first meeting.
28-year-old Bohli defended four out of seven breakpoints faced and capitalised on three out of eleven breakpoint chances to his advantage. Despite formulating a below par first serve share of 49 percent as opposed to Phau’s 60
percent, he earned a plausible 70 percent win on and sealed the match with a 7-6(2), 7-6(1) score line.
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