Albert Ramos advances in the US Men’s Clay Court Championship
23-year-old Spanish Albert Ramos eased past the 27-year-old Argentinean Brian Dabul in straight sets on Tuesday. He registered a 6-4, 7-5 win over the Argentinean to advance to the second round in the 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.
Ranked at world number 113, Ramos destroyed his Argentinean rival, seeded nine ranks above him, in straight sets in his first ever meeting at River Oaks Country Club in one hour and 37 minutes. He smacked five aces and very consistently outplayed his opponent
throughout the match.
The Spaniard is in good shape this season and has a 60 percent winning record in his last ten matches. He recently made a quarter-final berth at Marrakech Challenger before losing to Frenchman Augustin Gensse. He progressed through qualifiers to reach the
second round at Buenos Aires.
Both players displayed quality tennis and played passionately throughout the match. In the opening set, Ramos produced a much lower first serve share of 52 percent as compared to the Argentinean’s 84 percent, but he earned an amazing 75 percent win on it.
Not only this, the Spaniard held his entire serves spectacularly and even managed to break the Argentinean’s serve once to clinch the set with a 6-4 win. He also hammered three aces, saved the only breakpoint chance against himself and found two breakpoint
opportunities against his opponent.
Ramos improved his winning strategy in the second set. Although he still had a lower first serve share of 65 percent as opposed to Dabul’s 73 percent and even managed to lose his serve once, he broke the Argentinean’s serve for the second time in the twelfth
game to seal the set with a 7-5 win. The Spaniard displayed exceptional skills in this final set and outshined his senior rival completely. He committed zero double faults, saved four out of five breakpoints and found five breakpoint opportunities of which
he converted two to his advantage.
Dabul, who has a poor 30 percent winning record this season in his last ten matches and exited from early rounds in all the tournaments he entered, showed no spark or enthusiasm in this ATP World Tour 250 event either. The Argentinean committed three double
faults, took no advantage of his higher first serve share and didn’t capitalize on the six breakpoint opportunities he found.
Ramos will next face the top seed American Mardy Fish. He needs to practice more and earn a higher first serve share to upset the top seed player of the tournament.
Ranked 11th in the world, Fish is in great form and made a semi-final berth at Delray Beach, Memphis and Miami before receiving a buy into the second round in this event.