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11/2/09 9:48 PM | Ricky Dimon
Radek Stepanek storms into the Basel second round on Monday. He is joined there by Florent Serra, a straight-set winner over Ivo Karlovic.
(LL) Florent Serra d. Ivo Karlovic 7-6(5), 6-4
Serra survived another serving barrage off the racket of Karlovic, prevailing in the first round of the Davidoff Swiss Indoors after one hour and 17 minutes on Monday afternoon. Karlovic fired an unbelievable 28 aces in just two sets of tennis, but his all-court game failed him throughout the match. The 6'10'' Croat won a mere five return points in the opening set and had to save three break points, so it came as no surprise that Serra--with the upper hand throughout the set--took the ensuing tiebreaker seven points to five. Karlovic earned two break chances in the second, but he missed both. As a result, one break for Serra was enough for him to close out the proceedings in straight sets. The 71st-ranked Frenchman, far too good in almost every rally against Karlovic, won 83 percent of his first-serve points and an impressive 62 percent of his second-serve return points. Next up for Serra, who got into the Basel main draw as a lucky loser, is No. 5 seed Radek Stepanek.
(5) Radek Stepanek d. Rainer Schuettler 6-2, 6-0
Stepanek destroyed Schuettler in a mere one hour and eight minutes in Monday's nightcap at the Davidoff Swiss indoors. Schuettler was relatively competitive in the first set, but he got broken early and squandered all three of his chances to get back on serve. A second break allowed Stepanek to serve out the opening frame of play at 5-2. From there Schuettler completely disappeared, as the 33-year-old German failed to win another game. Stepanek wrapped up his dominant performance with six aces while winning 61 percent of his second-serve return points.
Andreas Seppi d. (WC) Stephane Bohli 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
Seppi needed two and a half hours to overcome Bohli, an unheralded Swiss wildcard, in the Basel first round on Monday afternoon. With the crowd behind him, Bohli came out firing and used two breaks of serve--while winning 10 of 16 second-serve return points--to seize a one-set advantage. From there, however, Seppi took control. The 51st-ranked Italian lost only one game in the second frame of play and broke serve three times, the last of which forced a decisive third. Bohli was more competitive in the final set, but his opponent's experience proved to be the difference in the end. The world No. 148, who has won just six career matches at the ATP level, buckled under the pressure of serving to stay in the match at 5-6. Seppi finished with as many double-faults as aces (six), but helped his chances by converting six of nine break points. The winner will now face Roger Federer, who rolled over Olivier Rochus.
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