Tommy Haas thrashes Martin Klizan in the opening round – German Tennis Championships 2012
Local favourite, Tommy Haas, reacted positively to the support of home crowd, as he raced past Slovakia’s world number 59, Martin Klizan, in the first round of the Bet-at-home German Tennis Championships on Tuesday.
The German allowed Klizan to claim just three games in the entire match, beating him in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 to move to the last 16 in Hamburg.
The contest was looking to be competitive at the start, as both players held their serve in the opening four games, equalising the proceedings at 2-2. However, it was an all Haas show after that, as the German did drop even a single
game, striking twice and capitalising on it to win 6-2.
The 34-year-old banged in one ace and did not make any double fault, keeping his first delivery percentage at 58 and converting 12 of the 15 of them into points. The 6ft 2in tall won six of the 11 points on both the second serves
and returns. The right-hander evaded the one break threat he faced and availed two of the three chances he created in the opener.
Carrying the winning momentum into the second set, Haas grabbed opening three games to attain a 3-0 lead. Klizan broke the bagel by winning the fourth game to reduce the trail to 1-3. However, Haas started to dominate the proceedings
once again afterwards, snatching a break in the sixth and making the most of it to triumph 6-1.
Haas further improved his serve, pounding three aces and 75 percent of the first deliveries in the second set. The German contestant’s conversion rate dropped slightly, as he won 14 of the 18 first and three of the six second serve
points. The veteran did not provide even a single break point to the Slovakian and converted two of the three he received just like the previous set.
It took Haas only an hour and eight minutes to trounce his opponent in a one sided contest.
The German, who had made his debut here in 1996, stated during the post match press conference, “It’s nice to be back here. I haven’t been here in six years. Never really knew if I was going to come back here, so it’s a special
moment for me. Being back on Centre Court, winning my first round match and being here are very important, very special. It’s a nice feeling.”
The former world number two will lock horns with the second seed, Gilles Simon, in the second round.
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