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2/6/10 6:45 AM | Kelli DeMario
Top seed Fernando Gonzalez needed seven match points to dismiss quarterfinal opponent Marcel Granollers late Friday. The defending champion is through to the last four at the Movistar Open.
(1) Fernando Gonzalez def. Marcel Granollers 7-6, 7-6
Four-time champion Fernando Gonzalez recorded his 11th straight win at the Movistar Open after downing Marcel Granollers Friday night. The Chilean missed a half-dozen match points before securing the 7-6(8), 7-6(9) victory in two hours and 16 minutes.
Both players began the match in shaky fashion, neither able to hold serve. Gonzalez steadied himself with help from his forehand to reach set-point at 6-5. Granollers saved the set point, then another to force a tie-break. A neutral tiebreak turned in the top seed’s favor at 3-2, courtesy of a double-fault from the Spaniard. Granollers recovered the mini-break to level 4-4 as Gonzalez pushed a lob over the baseline. The Chilean kept the advantage but failed to close on multiple occasions. A fifth set point came for Gonzalez at 9-8. The top seed took the one hour and 17-minute set as Granollers missed an easy forehand.
The Spaniard looked to regroup at 3-2 set two, earning a service break on a cross-court forehand winner. Gonzalez collected himself quickly to snag triple break-point at 2-4. The Chilean pocketed his third break of the Granollers serve, aided by a well-placed slice backhand. The players held serve comfortably as they approached a second tiebreak.
Gonzalez built a 6-1 lead in short order, capitalizing on some errant forehand strikes from Granollers. The Spaniard continued to fight, however, wiping away five match points to level at 6-6. Granollers held two set points, but could not convert either one. After missing his sixth attempt, Gonzalez finally sealed the win with a trademark forehand blast. Gonzalez will take on third seed Thomaz Bellucci for a place in Sunday’s final.
(3) Thomaz Bellucci def. Eduardo Schwank 6-4, 6-4
Third seed Thomaz Bellucci showed no signs of fatigue during his quarterfinal-round clash with Eduardo Schwank. The 22-year-old Brazilian, who knocked out Paul Capdeville in a marathon late Thursday night, did not face a break point in 77 minutes of play.
Bellucci snared a break of the Schwank serve at 2-1 in the opening set. The third seed passed through the 6-4 set untroubled, closing on an overhead smash at the 40-minute mark. Bellucci kept the momentum going in set two, compiling triple break-point in the seventh game. A forehand winner gave the Brazilian a 4-3 lead. Bellucci completed the match as Schwank netted a backhand on match point.
Bellucci trails defending champion Fernando Gonzalez 0-1 in the head-to-head series.
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it will be Pico vs. Gonzo, as always at this event
RickyDimon , 2/6/10 5:11 PM
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Kelli, not sure where to put this:
Go Souza ... I mean Go Monaco ... ? Not sure who to root for; I guess Monaco will win, so go Souza!
smr , 2/6/10 3:53 PM