Photo: Ron C. Angle
Marcos is through to the quarter-finals of the SA Tennis Open after battling past South African wild card Raven Klaasen 6-3, 7-5 on a rain-hit Wednesday in Johannesburg.
With the start of play delayed by four hours, Marcos did not take to the court until early evening against World No. 350 Klaasen and the Cape Town resident presented a challenge in the second round clash.
Marcos Visits Apartheid Museum Photo Gallery
In the end, Marcos’ strong serving stats and ability to convert break opportunities proved to be the difference in the one-hour and 29-minute match at the Montecasino. While Klaasen failed to capitalise on any of the four break point chances he had on Marcos’ serve, Marcos broke serve three times from seven opportunities and performed strongly on serve – firing 12 aces and making 82 per cent of first serves.
“Everything was much better than the first day,” Marcos said “He [Klaasen] served some big serves on the important points. He played a great match.”
Marcos is now through to his first ATP World Tour quarter-final since losing to Roger Federer in the last eight on grass in Halle last June. He will face Spanish second seed David Ferrer, who defeated Simon Greul in straight sets on Wednesday evening.
With the back-log of matches to be completed after the rain, Marcos and Jeremy Chardy’s doubles match was postponed.
Stay tuned for more on Marcos’ progress in Johannesburg.
Marcos Visits Apartheid Museum
Photo: Reg Caldecott
“To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others” – Nelson Mandela
Those were the words that greeted Marcos when he arrived at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg on Tuesday to gain a greater understanding of the history of South Africa’s apartheid era and of the legacy created by Nelson Mandela.
Apartheid was a policy initiated by the white elected National Party government in 1948, which turned 20 million people into second class citizens, damning them to a life of servitude, humiliation and abuse through segregation.
Before the tour of the museum, Marcos had a first-hand experience of how it would have felt living in apartheid South Africa. Marcos, his coach Oliver Soules and agent Jean-Philippe Bernard were all labelled as either white or non-white prior to entering the museum and forced to enter through separate doorways.
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