Viktor Troicki advances to the fourth round at the Sony Ericsson Open
16th seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki rallied past 19th seeded American Sam Querrey in a 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 nail bitter match on Sunday. The Serb has now advanced to the fourth round at the Tennis Center at Crandon
Park in Miami,
Although Querrey had won the pair’s last meeting on Serbian clay courts last year, this time round Troicki triumphed over the American and took the lead in their head to head series by 2-1.
Both players displayed awe-inspiring skill and played their best tennis throughout the match. In the first set both players held their opening serves plausibly. Though they successfully exchanged a break, both players managed to
hold their services in the remaining games, forcing the set into a tie-breaker.
Querrey smacked seven aces and registered an impressive 74 percent win on his lower first serve share. In addition to this, the 23-year-old American saved two break points but was only able to convert one out of two breakpoint
opportunities to his advantage.
25-year-old Troicki on the other hand showed real confidence and composure in the tie-breaker. He finally prevailed as he won the set 7-6(5).
In the second set, Troicki played well and levelled the score at 3-3, unleashing his flurry of ground strokes and keeping pace with the American.
However, the American then bounced back and broke service once to reel off three straight wins in the next three games. Winning the second set 6-3, Querry pushed the match into a decider.
Though Querrey had a lower first serve share of 61 percent as opposed to Serbian’s 67 percent, he earned an 84 percent win on it and hammered six ferocious aces. He saved three breakpoints and found three breakpoint opportunities
but the he converted one opportunity to his advantage in the eight game which helped him clinched the set.
Both players entered the third set in top form but Troicki was charged and broke the American’s serve twice. The Serb displayed exceptional skills in the final set as he saved three out of four breakpoints and the two he converted
to his advantage led him to win the set with a 7-5 score line.
He will next face his 2nd seeded countryman Novak Djokovic who has a perfect winning record in this season and has won all the tournaments he entered including the Grand Slam Down Under and the recently held BNP Paribas
Open. The flawless Serb overpowered Uzbekistani Denis Istomin and American wild card entrant James Blake in the first two rounds. There is a slight chance that Troicki can upset the top notch Djokovic but only if he stays focused throughout the match and practices
much harder.
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