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  • Rogers Cup First Round Recap

    7/22/08 6:15 AM | Ricky Dimon
    - A full first day of action was completed in Toronto despite a brief rain delay. Leading the charge into round two are Nicolas Kiefer, Mikhail Youzhny, and Feliciano Lopez.

    Nicolas Kiefer d. Mardy Fish 7-5, 7-6(4)

    Fish has been in dreadful form ever since reaching the final of the Masters Series Indian Wells and that lack of confidence hurt him in the crucial stages of this match. The American imploded at the end of each set against Kiefer. The opening frame of play progressed to 5-5 as neither player could break serve, but Fish finally played a loose service game and that gave Kiefer a one-set lead. Four breaks of serve were exchanged in set two as Kiefer's return improved, but his serve deteriorated from 79 percent to 51 percent. Fish raced to a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker only to see the German roar back to win the last six points of the match. Kiefer will take on Mikhail Youzhny in the second round.

    Mikhail Youzhny d. Andreas Seppi 7-6(1), 6-2

    This one was close for a while, as a tiebreaker needed to decide things in the first set after neither player could take care of serve very well in the early going. Once the 'breaker started, however, it was all Youzhny all the time the rest of the way. Seppi managed just one point in the tiebreaker and faded without much more than a whimper in set two. The Italian at least had four break points in the second frame of play, but Youzhny saved them all. Youzhny also capitalized on both of the break chances he enjoyed.

    Feliciano Lopez d. Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

    Lopez is finally in the win column against Stepanek after six straight losses. At first, however, it looked like Stepanek would again get the better of the Spaniard. He served extremely well to take the opening set by one break, 6-4. Lopez soon turned the match around by losing only seven points on serve in the second frame of play and one break was all he needed to level it at one set apiece. The decider turned out to be a back-and-forth affair. Lopez broke for 4-3 but gave it right back as Stepanek drew level at 4-4. A third consecutive break promptly gave Lopez a 5-4 advantage and a chance to serve out the match. Serve it out he did, but not without some trouble. Stepanek saved two match points for deuce, but Lopez ended the night with two huge serves, culminated by an ace down the middle.

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