Tim Smyczek, Austin Krajicek enter the main draw – Delray Beach International 2012
Tim Smyczek beats Jack Sock 7-6(1), 6-2
World number 287 Tim Smyczek overcame 307th ranked, countryman Jack Sock in the final qualifier at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Florida, USA on Monday.
Smyczek and Sock could not break each other in the first set, taking it to a tie-breaker. The 24-year-old, Smyczek, faced a break threat at 4-5 but avoided it with a powerful serve. He was almost flawless in the tie-breaker, claiming
first five points to take a 5-0 lead. Sock succeeded in opening his account but nothing more than that, losing it 1-7.
With the winning momentum on his side, Smyczek came out firing in the second set and moved ahead 3-0. Sock went double break down after the sixth game but he pulled one back in the next to reduce the trail to 2-5. However, he lost
his serve again at dropped the set 2-6.
Smyczek delivered six aces and Sock committed the same number of double faults. The right-hander, Smyczek, sealed 35 of the 50 first serve points. The American did well to save eight of the nine break points he faced. The match
lasted for an hour and 33 minutes.
He will meet former world number eight, Jurgen Melzer, in the first match of the main draw.
Austin Krajicek ousts Nicholas Monroe 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-3
In another match between two American players, world number 502, Austin Krajicek, bounced back from a deficit of one set to upset world number 388, Nicholas Monroe, 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-3, in the final round of the qualifying draw. The
contest lasted for two hours and 25 minutes.
Monroe hit the first blow, breaking Krajicek in the fifth game and winning his serve in the next to capture a 4-2 lead. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, Krajicek failed to grab a single point and lost it 3-6.
Both players held their serve in the first ten games of the second set, equalising the score at 5-5. Krajicek broke his countryman in the eleventh but was unable to consolidate to take the set to a tie-breaker. Monroe saved three
sets points when he trailed 3-6 but could not put away the fourth one, going down 6-8.
Krajicek and Monroe exchanged a break of serve in the first five games to take the score at 3-2 in the former’s favour. Krajicek drew the last blood and served out the set at 5-3.
The American will take on Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the opening round of the main draw.
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