Tatsuma Ito dismisses Michael Berrer in the first round – Atlanta Tennis Championships 2011
Japanese number 1 Tatsuma Ito, ranked 106th in the world, upset world number 84 Michael Berrer of Germany in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-4 in the first round of Atlanta Tennis Championships at Racquet Club of the South in
Atlanta on Monday. The match lasted for an hour and 38 minutes.
Ito and the German failed to break each other’s serve in the opening set and tied the score at 6-6, taking the set to a tie-break. The Japanese sealed a late mini-break in the tie-break, clinching it 8-6.
The right-handed kept his first serve percentage at 60 percent and fired two aces in the first set. Both players had an incredible first serve conversion rate in the opening set. Tatsuma captured 87 percent of the first service
points. In comparison, Berrer managed to win a slightly lower 86 percent of the points on the first serve. The German had a better second serve conversion rate, bagging 65 percent of the second service points compared to 43 percent by his opponent. The Stuttgart
resident did not face any break point on his own serve and failed to capitalise on the one break point opportunity he created on Ito’s serve in the first set.
Ito and Berrer held their serve in the first six games of the second set, equalising the score at 3-3. The Japanese broke Berrer in the seventh game and held his next service game to go ahead 5-3. He served out the set in the tenth
game, capturing it 6-4.
The Japanese hit two aces and 64 percent of the first deliveries, capturing 83 percent of the points on them. Ito clinched five of the ten second service points and five of the nineteen first return points in the second set. The
23-year-old converted one of the two break points he received on Berrer’s serve in the second set.
Ito has a 1-1 win/loss record this year. The Japanese has failed to qualify for the main round of any tournament so far in this season. The 23-year-old lost first qualifier at all three grand slams. Ito defeated Cecil Mamiit in
five thrilling sets 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-7(3), 9-7 in Japan’s Davis Cup, Asia Oceania Group 1, first round tie against Philippines. The Japanese was defeated by Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in straight sets 4-6, 4-6, 4-6 in the Davis Cup second round.
The unseeded is drawn to meet eighth seed, Indian Somdev Devvarman in the second round at this championship.
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