Thomaz Bellucci struggles past Roger-Vasselin to advance at the 2011 Estoril Open
Sixth seeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci rallied past French qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin in a three set thriller on Wednesday. He registered a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 victory over the 27-year-old Frenchman to advance into the quarter-finals
of the 2011 Estoril Open, a clay court tournament held in Oeiras, Portugal.
World number 31 Bellucci took two hours and fifty-eight minutes to overpower the world number 129 Vasselin on his first meeting at Estadio Nacionale. He has now extended his lead in the head-to-head series against the Frenchman
by 1-0 and is aiming for his maiden title this season.
The Brazilian is in great form this season so far and made a quarter-final berth at Auckland, Santiago, Costa do Sauipe and reached the semi-finals at Acapulco. However, he lost his winning ways afterwards and came to this tournament
with a four match losing streak. Bellucci re-formed his strategy in this ATP World Tour 250 series and trashed Danish qualifier Frederik Nielsen in the first round.
The 23-year-old Brazilian produced a lower first serve share of 52 percent as compared to the Frenchman’s 82 percent but he registered an amazing 80 percent win on it. He saved the only breakpoint faced and converted one out of
three breakpoint opportunities to his advantage to seal the set by winning six games to three by Vasselin.
Frustrated Vasselin got back on track in the second set and despite producing a lower first serve share, he converted both breakpoint opportunities to his advantage to clinch the set with a 7-5 win. He saved five out of six breakpoints
faced and smacked an ace as well.
The Brazilian re-focused in the decider and started the match in full of confidence. He exchanged an early break and registered a convincing 64 percent win on his lower first serve share. Bellucci smacked two aces as well and broke
the Frenchman’s serve again in the last game to win the set with 7-5 victory.
Up next for Bellucci is the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas who upset third seeded French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets later that day. 25-year-old converted three out of seven breakpoint opportunities to his advantage to clinch the
match with a 6-2, 7-6(0) win.
Two more seeds advanced into the quarters. Top seeded Swede Robin Soderling rallied past French Jeremy Chardy by 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-1 nail biter match in just under two hours, and eighth seeded Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro trashed
Colombian Alejandro Falla with an assuring 6-2, 6-1 score line in seventy minutes.
Tags: