WROCLAW, February 17, 2015
Wroclaw Open’s top-Polish players stroke a bad patch in their opening matches on Tuesday when Wroclaw resident Michal Przysiężny, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Monday and was presented a cake by the tournament’s organizers, lost the blockbuster first round encounter against second seed Belgian Steve Darcis 6-7, 6-3, 6-7 in two hours and 41 minutes. The 30-year-old from Liege won 73% of his first service points and advanced to the second round facing Andrea Arnaboldi next.
Michal Przysiężny received a birthday cake in the press room (photo: Wroclaw Open)
Michał Przysiężny in his first round match on Tuesday (photo: Wroclaw Open)
The Italian leftie beat Poland’s second best tennis player Lukasz Kubot, who participated in his first match on European soil this year, winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in two hours and 20 minutes. The former world number 41 from Lubin started the season in Brisbane and Melbourne, his first two tournaments since Wimbledon 2014. Arnaboldi has reached the second round for the first time this year by converting match point just before midnight.
Lukasz Kubot lost in 1st round in Wroclaw (photo: Wroclaw Open)
Third seed Farrukh Dustov fired 12 aces to take out former world number 35 Philipp Petzschner winning 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 in two hours and 11 minutes.
Belgian Niels Desein, who claimed his first ever ATP Challenger title in Glasgow two weeks ago, lost in Wroclaw’s opening round to Andrej Martin in straight sets 6-7, 4-6 in 95 minutes. The 25-year-old from Bratislava, who is currently ranked on 186th position will face Konstantin Kravchuk next. The Russian capitalized on all of his four break points beating Frederik Nielsen 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 in 96 minutes.
In a battle betwen two qualifiers Mirza Basic had no problems to beat only 19-year-old Laslo Djere without facing a break point winning in 67 minutes 6-3, 6-4. The 23-year-old from Bosnia-Herzegovina will face Jesse Huta Galung in the second round, who took out fifth seeded German Matthias Bachinger 6-1, 6-7, 6-3.
Another teenager in the draw had a good start into his match but eventually lost the encounter in two tie-breaks. 19-year-old German qualifier Maximilian Marterer, who has already claimed two ITF Future titles this season, fell to Marton Fucsovics losing 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 in two hours and six minutes. The Hungarian hit 20 aces and faces the winner of the encounter between Ilya Marchenko and Jozef Kovalik.
In only 48 minutes, Kamil Majchrzak had the better ending in the all-Polish-affair beating only 17-year-old Michal Dembek 6-3, 6-0 to face either the tournament’s top-seed Ricardas Berankis or another Polish wild card in person of Hubert Hurkacz.
A lot of spectators came to Orbita Hall on Tuesday supporting their local players
On Monday, Wroclaw’s champion of 2009, Michael Berrer, who beat Rafael Nadal in January in Doha and is still undefeated in Orbita Hall, took out Frenchman Axel Michon winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Berrer will face Jurgen Zopp next. The Estonian beat Frank Dancevic 6-4, 6-3.
Polish wild card and world number 441 Andriej Kapas upset more than 280 positions better-ranked Mate Delic from Croatia in one hour and 22 minutes winning 6-4, 6-2 to meet Jan Mertl in the second round. The Czech veteran took out fourth seed and last week’s finalist from Bergamo, Aleksandr Nedovyesov, winning two out of three tie-breaks after two hours and 21 minutes.
Andriej Kapas is one of only two players from Poland remaining in the draw in Wroclaw (photo: Wroclaw Open)
