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2/8/09 12:27 AM | Ricky Dimon
Mario Ancic outlasts Jan Hernych in a third-set tiebreaker on Saturday evening in the Zagreb semifinals. Ancic will now contest an all-Croat final against Marin Cilic.
The Croat fans got more than their money's worth on semifinal Saturday at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors.
After No. 2 seed Marin Cilic took out Viktor Troicki in straight sets, Mario Ancic ensured it would be an all-Croat title match when he survived Jan Hernych in a third-set tiebreaker in the nightcap. Ancic saved three match points before pulling out a 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(9) thriller that lasted three hours and seven minutes.
The first grueling first set was a sign of things to come. After one hour and 11 minutes, Ancic somehow managed to lose the set, of which he had complete control right from the start. Hernych failed to win a single service point in the opening game of the match and Ancic then held to 15 for a 2-0 lead. Ancic had two break points to go up 3-0, but the Czech battle back to hold for 1-2. Nonetheless, Ancic took care of his own service games en route to 5-4. Suddenly, while serving for the match at 5-4, unforced errors infested the 6'4'' Croat's game and his opponent broke back to stay in the set. Two games later a tiebreaker was needed to decide the opening frame of play. Hernych allowed an early mini-break to slip away, but in the end he was simply too solid from the back of the court for Ancic. A backhand unforced error off the Ancic racket gave Hernych the 'breaker seven points to four.
The No. 29 player in the world was not about to let another lead go by the wayside in set two. Ancic secured a break at 3-2 and dominated the rest of the set with his serve. After losing an incredible 14 of 15 second-serve points in the opener, Ancic lost a mere three points in five service games in the second.
That set up the incredibly dramatic, back-and-forth third. Ancic seized a quick break for a 2-1 lead, but Hernych silenced the crowd by getting two breaks back for a 5-3 lead. At that point, Ancic found a way to claw back into it, gaining a critical break as his opponent served for a spot in the title match. Both men held serve the rest of the way to the tiebreaker. Hernych held match points at 6-4, 6-5, and 7-6, but Ancic finally prevailed on his third match point at 10-9 when Hernych sent a backhand wide.
Ancic will have to bounce back on Sunday to face the formidable Cilic, who has not lost a set yet this week. It will be the first head-to-head encounter between the two Croats.
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i'm happy for mario! he deserves a successful run! good luck to him in the final!
memi , 2/8/09 6:02 AM