Thomaz Bellucci off to a winning start against Bobby Reynolds – ATP Challenger Tour Finals 2011
World number 37, Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil, was unchallenged in his Green Group match against the eighth seed American, Bobby Reynolds, at the inaugural season ending finale, the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour Finals on Wednesday night.
Being played on the indoor hard courts of the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil, the top seeded Bellucci took just 70 minutes of play to wrap up victory in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, to have an impactful start at the mega event.
The home favourite earned a wild card to compete in the eight-player field and being the world number 37, he was seeded at number one. Bellucci had a 25-25 winning record at the ATP World Tour-level matches this season, with a semi-final run at the Mutua Madrid Open. He outplayed two of the Top-10 players, Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych in that event before falling to the reigning world number one, Novak Djokovic of Serbia. His excellent performance in the Wednesday’s contest hints that the Brazilian is well up for grabbing the first edition of the ATP Challenger Tour Finals.
“I was always in the lead so it was easier to control the match. I made a few mistakes, but it’s normal for a first match so I’m happy to win,” said Bellucci after registering his first Round Robin victory in the tournament.
29-year-old American veteran proved to be a total mismatch for the aggressive top seed, falling in straight sets to grant him the early advantage in the competition. Reynolds was completely outplayed by the pin-point power hitting of the Brazilian opponent, who dropped just six points on his first serve, clinching 31 out of 37, en route to victory. The eighth seeded American banged in seven cracking aces with his 76 per cent precise serve but failed to convert his break opportunities to finish on the losing side in the end. Bellucci registered four out of six breaks of serve, while Reynolds recorded just one break point conversion in the entire matchup.
Bellucci will next play against the German competitor, sixth seed Andreas Beck, in his second Round Robin match.
“Against Beck it will be a tough match because he is an aggressive player, so I will have to play inside the court and not let him play,” reflected the Brazilian winner.
Both men will go one-on-one against each other on Thursday night.
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