Viktor Troicki struggles past Maximo Gonzalez in the first round – Wimbledon Championships 2011
Serbia’s Viktor Troicki, ranked 12th in the world, fought back after the opening set scare to oust world number 86 Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina in four sets 3-6, 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-3 in the first round of Wimbledon Championships
at the All England Club in London on Tuesday. The match lasted for two hours and thirteen minutes.
Gonzalez had a good start to the match as he broke the Serbian in the opening game of the first set and held his serve in the next game to take a 2-0 lead. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, Troicki was broken again and lost the
set 3-6. Gonzalez played a consistent game throughout the first set. The Argentinean did not hit many winners but at the same time the 27-year-old also made sure that he does not commit many unforced errors. Gonzalez hit just three winners and a couple of
unforced errors in the opening set.
Troicki made a great comeback in the second set, breaking the Argentinean three times and claiming six consecutive games to win the set 6-0. The Serbian fired 67 percent of the first serves and two aces in the second set. The 25-year-old
hit eight winners and converted 75 percent of the first serves into points in the second set. On the other hand, Gonzalez had a poor conversion rate, converting a meagre 36 percent of the first serves into points in the second set. The Argentinean failed to
convert the only break point opportunity he received on Troicki’s serve and saved just two of the five break points he faced on his own serve in the second set.
After losing the second set miserably, Gonzalez did not give Troicki any chance to break the Argentinean’s serve in the third set. The set was forced into a tie-break, where the Serbian claimed two mini-breaks to win it 7-3. Troicki
played aggressively throughout the third set, hitting 24 winners and fourteen unforced errors. The Serbian bombarded thirteen aces and 73 percent of the first serves in the third set. Gonzalez could not deliver any ace and hit just nine winners in the third
set.
In the fourth set, Troicki broke the Argentinean in the sixth game and held his next service game to take a 5-2 lead. The Serbian served out the set in the ninth game, claiming it 6-3. The six feet and four inches tall fired six
aces and fifteen winners in the fourth set. The Serbian committed a single double fault and made six unforced errors. Troicki capitalised on the only break point opportunity he created and saved the one break point he faced on his own serve in the fourth set.
The thirteenth seed is slated to play world number 57 Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei in the second round.
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