Photo: Ron C. Angle
Marcos made a smooth start to his 2010 Australian Open campaign, defeating Italian Paulo Lorenzi 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday afternoon in Melbourne.
Well supported by an army of Greek Cypriot fans, Marcos made a fast start to the match as he raced to a 5-0 lead. In the first four games his dominance was clear as he surrendered just three points and made no unforced errors.
To his credit, Lorenzi settled into the match – his first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw – and provided a sterner challenge towards the end of the set. The Italian took advantage of a looser game from Marcos to recoup one of the service breaks and cut the deficit to 5-2, before tighter play from Marcos enabled him to close out the one-set lead as Lorenzi’s forehand found the net.
Marcos was quick to put the Italian under pressure in the second set, forcing his No. 83-ranked opponent to save two break points in the first game. However, Lorenzi’s resistance did not last and Marcos broke through in the third game before opening up a 3-1 lead. Solid serving and consistent play from Marcos did not allow Lorenzi any chance to get back into contention and he confidently served out the two-set lead as Lorenzi made successive forehand errors in the 10th game.
Determined to make the most of his chance to impress at Grand Slam level, Lorenzi stayed with Marcos in the early stages of the third set, growing in confidence as he established a 3-2 lead on serve. However, he could not keep Marcos’ attacking tennis at bay for long. A rifling forehand pass up the line earned Marcos two break points in the seventh game and a big return enabled Marcos to punch away a forehand volley to secure the 4-3 lead.
The 28-year-old Lorenzi had one last stand as Marcos served for the victory, opening up a 15-40 lead. Match hardened after his terrific week in Sydney, though, Marcos came up with a big serve and strong play when he needed it and saved both break points before closing out the match as Lorenzi netted a backhand after two hours.
“I am feeling quite good on court and I'm happy,” said Marcos afterwards. “The conditions the past two days have been windy and everything. I came a bit late [after Sydney] and yesterday was raining and I couldn't hit too much on the courts. It was tough.
“I was concentrated on my game,” Marcos added. “I didn't know him before the match. I was very focused on my game. I just focused on my game and that's all. I wanted to play good. I found a way to win.”
At Grand Slam level the matches don’t get any easier and next up for Marcos will be Spanish No. 17 seed David Ferrer, who led 6-0, 6-0, 2-0 when his Portuguese opponent, Frederico Gil, was forced to retire.
Stay tuned for photos from Melbourne, plus a look ahead to the second round.
Well done, Marcos!
