Toni Androic trounces Denis Zivkovic in the second round – Sibiu Challenger 2012
Croatia’s Toni Androic did not face any difficulty in routing Denis Zivkovic of USA in straight sets in the round of 16 of the Sibiu Challenger in Romania on Wednesday.
The Croatian contestant allowed his American opponent to claim just four games in the entire contest, winning it 6-2, 6-2 in just an hour and 11 minutes.
Androic came firing in the match, as he grabbed a breakthrough in the second game to move ahead 2-0. Zivkovic struck back in the third to reduce the deficit to 1-2 but the Croatian hit another blow in the fourth and consolidated
on it this time to race to a 4-1 lead. Serving to stay in the set at 2-5, the American player lost his serve again and went down 2-6.
The Croatian contender could not hit any ace but he also did not make any double fault in the opening set. The 20-year-old had a pathetic first serve percentage of 48 but succeeded in capturing eight of the 11 points on them. Androic
fared remarkably well on the second deliveries and first returns, converting six of the 12 and 15 of the 25 points on them. The Croatian could not save the only break point he faced but managed to convert three of the seven he received.
Androic made an ideal start in the second set, snatching first three games to build a 3-0 advantage. The Croatian participant contained his lead and took the score to 5-2. Serving to stay in contention at that moment, Zivkovic
could not manage to hold his serve and lost it 2-6.
Ranked 384th in the world, Androic banged in two aces this time and once again did not commit any double fault. The Croatian player drastically improved his serve performance, putting in 72 percent of the first deliveries
and converting all the 13 of them into points. The unseeded player bagged eight of the 11 second returns and converted two of the five break points he received in the second set.
The Croatian player has not played any tour level match so far in this season. He featured in the qualifying draw of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors but failed in making to the main draw. The Croatian contestant retired from his second
qualifier against Matteo Viola, when he trailed 4-6, 1-3.
Androic is slated to face the second seed, Victor Hanescu, or wild card entrant, Florin Mergea, in the quarter-finals.
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