Xavier Malisse thrashes Yen-Hsun Lu to move into the third round at the Mutua Madrid Open
World number 49 Xavier Malisse of Belgium defeated world number 55 Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei in straight sets in the second round at the Mutua Madrid Open in Madrid on Wednesday. The Belgian dropped just four games in the entire
match, winning it 6-2, 6-2 in just 57 minutes.
Malisse broke Lu in the third and seventh game of the first set, winning it 6-2. The right-handed fired three aces and committed a single double fault in the opening set. The Belgian delivered 71 percent of the first serves and
grabbed 80 percent of the points on them in the first set. In comparison, Lu kept his first serve percentage at 67 percent and claimed 69 percent of the points on them. The Taiwanese won 20 percent of the first return points in the opening set. Whereas, Malisse
returned better than his opponent as he converted 34 percent of his first returns into points in the first set. The right-handed capitalized on two of the four break point opportunities he created in the opening set.
The Belgian carried the winning momentum into the deciding set and did not allow Lu to come back in the match, breaking the Taiwanese twice and capturing the set 6-2.
The 30-year-old hit four aces and 68 percent of the first serves in the second set, winning 85 percent of the points on them. On the other hand, Lu delivered 59 percent of the first serves, converting 62 percent of them into points
in the second set. The Taiwanese was troubled by Malisse’s big serve as he bagged just two out of 13 first return points in the second set. Malisse succeeded in converting both break points he received in the second set.
In the previous round, the six feet and one inch tall rallied past world number 71 Victor Hanescu of Romania in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
The Belgian is featuring at the Mutua Madrid Open for the fourth time. He was defeated by American Mardy Fish 7-5, 3-6, 5-7 in the opening round last year.
Malisse is drawn to meet world number 3, Swiss legend Roger Federer in the third round. Federer battled past Spanish Feliciano Lopez, placed at 39th spot in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, in three thrilling
sets 7-6(13), 6-7(1), 7-6(7) in the round of 32.
This will be the tenth meeting between Federer and Malisse. The Swiss has won eight out of nine previous matches between these two. In their last meeting, Federer defeated the Belgian in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in the third
round at the Australian Open earlier this year.
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