Victor Hanescu overpowers Flavio Cipolla in the final qualifier – Mutua Madrid Open 2012
World number 104, Victor Hanescu of Romania, booked a place in the main draw by upsetting fourth seed, Flavio Cipolla, in three sets 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the final qualifier at the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain on Sunday.
Hanescu made the initial breakthrough in the fourth game of the first set and held his following serve to take a 4-1 lead. The 30-year-old made the most of it and triumphed 6-3.
The Romanian banged in a single ace and 76 percent of the first serves, converting 16 of the 19 points on them into points in the opening set. On the other hand, Cipolla maintained a first serve percentage of 83 and won 12 of the
20 of them. However, the Italian could not save one of the two break points he faced and failed to create any opportunity of his own.
Cipolla struck in the second game of the second set to go up 2-0 but Hanescu struck back immediately, snatching two in a row to level the score at 2-2. The Italian hit another blow in the eighth game and this time he succeeded
in consolidating on it to win 6-3.
The Rome, Italy resident smacked one ace and delivered 81 percent of the first serves, converting 16 of the 26 of them into points. The 28-year-old evaded four of the five break threats he faced and capitalised on two of the three
chances he received in the second set.
In the final set, none of the two players was willing to give other the advantage, as they won their serve in the first 11 games to take the score to 6-5 in favour of Hanescu. The Romanian succeeded in making the decisive breakthrough
at that moment and sealed it 7-5.
The 6ft 6in tall pounded 85 percent of the first deliveries and grabbed 20 of the 28 points on them in the decider. He could not reply well to Cipolla’s serves, as he claimed merely 10 of the 29 first and only one of the six second
return points. Though, the Romanian made the most of the only break opportunity he created.
It took Hanescu two hours and four minutes to claim victory in a tough match.
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