Xavier Malisse ousts Matthew Ebden in round two – Farmers Classic 2012
Fifth seed, Xavier Malisse, got the better of the Australian competitor, Matthew Ebden, in straight sets at the Farmers Classic 2012 on Thursday. He nudged up a 6-4, 6-3 victory to cruise into the quarter-finals at this outdoor hard court tournament taking
place on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles.
The Belgian seed showed top class performance to outrun Ebden in their first duel against each other at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. After recording the victory in one hour and 13 minutes, Malisse took lead in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)
Head 2 Head series by 1-0 against the Aussie youngster and secured a place in the final eight.
Malisse blasted his skills right after entering this ATP World Tour 250 series event. He drew the first blood in the opening game and took the initial lead. The Belgian maintained consistency in his game and swiped his entire serves without facing any real
challenge, eventually bagging the opener with a 6-4 win.
Ranked 72nd in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Malisse kept momentum rolling in the following set and got the critical break in the third game to leap to a 3-1 lead. He held his remaining serves with poise and cashed in his
second break chance in the last game, subsequently clicking the set by winning six games to three.
Overall, the Belgian star outshined his rival completely. He fired eight aces and produced a better first serve share of 65 per cent in contrast with Ebden’s 55 per cent. Malisse also blocked the lone breakpoint he came across and capped the match with 66
points as compared to the Aussie’s 49.
Next in line for the fifth seed is the two-time champion, Sam Querrey.
“I'll try to put as many returns (as possible) in play, that's the first thing,” Malisse stated in a courtside interview after tumbling the Aussie. “I've just got to go out and look at my own game. Try to concentrate on what I'm
doing, keep trying to hit serves like that and be aggressive. I feel like I played a lot more aggressive than in the first round. I have to stick to that. I'm going to miss some shots, but eventually it's paying off. It's better for me to play that way.”
The second seeded American eased past the Dutch star, Igor Sijsling, in straight sets to set up this clash.
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