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  • Wawrinka exits, Gonzalez survives in Vienna

    10/7/08 6:43 PM | Ricky Dimon
    - Masters Cup hopefuls were dealt different hands on Tuesday at the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy. No. 1 seed Stanislas Wawrinka lost along with No. 7 Gilles Simon, but No. 2 Fernando Gonzalez pulled out a three-setter.

    Philipp Petzschner d. Stanislas Wawrinka 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5)

    Wawrinka's Masters Cup hopes took a blow on Tuesday afternoon in Vienna, where he fell to Petzschner after a two hour and 31 minute battle. The Swiss, who had already dropped to No. 10 in the race to Shanghai last week, will also lose points in the rankings, as he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in this tournament last year. Both Wawrinka and Petzschner struggled to hold serve in the early going and the first set progressed to a tiebreaker, which the No. 1 seed took seven points to four. Wawrinka, however, played from behind the rest of the way. A dismal second-set performance allowed Petzschner to level the match with ease and the German went up a quick break in the deciding frame of play as well. Wawrinka fought back to force a final tiebreaker, but Petzschner seized an early mini-break and he consolidated it for the upset victory. Petzschner will take on Jan Hernych for a spot in the quarterfinals.

    Fernando Gonzalez d. Simone Bolelli 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2

    This was simply a mental battle, and Gonzalez often ends up on the losing end of such encounters. This time, however, the No. 2 seed delivered the goods when it counted. He came out flout and lost it mentally after going down an early break in the first set. Constant complaining about line calls derailed Gonzalez's chances of regaining his form in time to save the set and Bolelli served it out for 6-4. The Italian neared victory as the second frame of play went to a tiebreaker, but that's when it all went to pieces for him. Down 6-2 in the 'breaker and losing hope to finish this in straight sets, Bolelli crushed a forehand as hard as he could several yards out of the court to throw away the set. That was a sign of things to come; Bolelli completely disappeared mentally in the third, especially after his opponent seized a quick break of serve. Gonzalez only sped up the inevitable by cutting down significantly on his unforced errors and he took the deciding set with the utmost of ease. In the second round he will meet Ernests Gulbis, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Filippo Volandri.

    Eduardo Schwank d. Gilles Simon 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5)

    Both Schwank and Simon got broken in their opening service games and that was the story of the match throughout the evening. Simon saved a few more break points along the way in set one, so one more break proved to enough for him to serve it out at 5-4. The Frenchman had plenty of chances to go up a break in the second and put away the match, but Schwank saved all four break points he faced. Those missed opportunities seemed to effect Simon, who dropped serve for the first time since the second game of the match while serving to stay in the second at 5-6. Squandered chances also haunted Simon in the third set. He seized an early break, but promptly let the Argentine back in the match by failing to take care of his own serve. Both men blew a series of break points late in the third as the match appropriately needed a final tiebreaker to be decided. Yet again Simon took a lead, 3-1, but Schwank stormed back. He went up a mini-break to serve for he match at 6-4 and finally put an end to this back-and-forth affair on his second match point. Schwank will clash with Carlos Moya in round two.

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