ATP Buenos Aires: David Ferrer's flame still burns. Munar and Pella win
Competing in his 1100th match on the ATP Tour, the Spanish veteran David Ferrer kicked off his last Buenos Aires campaign with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Malek Jaziri in an hour and 53 minutes. The only three-time champion in the history of the tournament had to save no less than six set points in the opening set tie break before an excellent performance in set number two for the ATP win on clay number 332! Thanks to that second set, Ferrer played better on both the serve and return, losing serve three times and breaking Jaziri on five occasions in the first clash between two veterans.
David drew first blood with a break in game six after a loose backhand from Malek who managed to pull the break back in the very next game after a double fault from the Spaniard. The Tunisian saved a set point at 4-5 and he had a colossal chance to secure the set in the tie break, saving two set points at 4-6 to create six of his own at 7-6, 8-7, 9-8, 10-9, 11-10 and 12-11! David repelled them all, giving his best just like throughout the entire career and closing the breaker in the 28th point when Jaziri sent a forehand wide. Carried by this momentum, Ferrer opened a 5-1 lead in set number two with three consecutive breaks of serve before wasting three match points on serve at 5-2 to suffer a break.
Still, he grabbed another break in game nine to seal the deal and move into the second round where he will face Albert Ramos-Vinolas. The Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas needed just 65 minutes to dismiss a qualifier Marcelo Arevalo 6-2, 6-1, losing 12 points in seven service games to play against only one break point. On the other hand, he won half of the return points to break Arevalo's serve five times from then chances he created, claiming two breaks in the opening set and three more in the second to cross the finish line and complete a great day at the office.
The 5th seed Joao Sousa toppled Cordoba champion Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 13 minutes, saving five out of seven break points and stealing the Argentinian's serve five times, including the crucial break in the tenth game of the second set that propelled him into the last 16. Aljaz Bedene needed two hours and 32 minutes to oust Guido Andreozzi 1-6, 7-6, 6-2, overcoming a 6-1, 4-2 deficit to win the second set tie break 7-5 and dominate in the rest of the encounter. Roberto Carballes Baena had to stay on the court for an hour, toppling Taro Daniel 6-1, 6-0 after a dominant performance on both the serve and return.
Roberto lost 13 points in seven service games, fending off the only break point he faced and winning 63% of the return points to earn five breaks and rattle off the last nine games of the match for a dominant triumph. Leonardo Mayer took down the 7th seed Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 7-6, trailing 3-1 in the first and 5-3 in the second set before sealing the deal in the tie break. The 20-year-old Francisco Cerundolo made his ATP debut and he won the opening set against Cordoba finalist Guido Pella before the more experienced player prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in an hour and 35 minutes, breaking Francisco twice in the closing stages of the second set and never looking back.
The young Spaniard Jaume Munar defeated Federico Delbonis 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in just under two hours to complete the second round line-up, saving six out of eight break points and breaking the Argentinian four times to move into the last 16. Munar grabbed the opening set with a break in game eight after a poor drop shot from Delbonis and Federico bounced back in set number two with a double break to set up a decider. There, Jaume lost just six points on serve, breaking at love in game two and again at 3-0 when Delbonis sprayed a forehand error before sealing the deal with a service winner in game seven.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2SSeAgm
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