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3/7/09 6:25 AM | Ricky Dimon
As expected, Mario Ancic and Marin Cilic score straight-set victories on Friday to put host Croatia within one point of ousting Chile in the 2009 Davis Cup first round.
Mario Ancic d. Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4)
Although Massu failed to win a set, he gave Ancic a good test on fast indoor hard courts. Ancic needed just over three hours and a third-set tiebreaker before giving Croatia a 1-0 lead in its Davis Cup tie against visiting Chile. The 6'5'' Croat dominated on serve throughout the first two sets and did not face a single break point. He converted only one of nine break points in the first set, but that one was enough to take it 6-3. Two breaks of serve in the second were more than enough for Ancic to seize a two sets to love lead. So overwhelming was Ancic on serve that Massu won a mere three return points in the first set and just two in the second. Massu, ranked 98th in the world, managed to break out of nowhere in the third but he gave one service game back en route to a tiebreaker. In front of a pro-Croat crowd, Ancic was too tough under pressure and took the decider seven points to four. Ancic finished with 15 aces and won 80 percent of his service points.
Marin Cilic d. Paul Capdeville 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
Cilic wasted no time in giving Croatia a commanding 2-0 lead of Chile heading into Saturday's doubles rubber. The 20-year-old, who has already won two ATP titles this season, needed just one hour and 33 minutes to crush Capdeville. Cilic, of course, was right at home--literally--on fast hard courts, while Capdeville much prefers clay. It showed right from the start. Cilic used three breaks to dominate the first set 6-1. The 6'6'' Croat won the next two sets with a pair of breaks in each frame. He never dropped serve throughout the entire afternoon, but he did have to save six break points. Cilic recorded nine aces, did not double fault once, and won 80 percent of his first-serve points. He also committed only 17 unforced errors while striking 31 winners.
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