By Alberto Amalfi | Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Sam Querrey cracked 13 aces and dropped just three points on first serve sweeping Bjorn Fratangelo, 6-3, 6-4.
Photo credit: @mensclaycourt
Arriving in Houston ranked No. 71, an explosive Sam Querrey played like a man ready for launch on the River Oaks red clay.
Querrey cracked 13 aces sweeping wild card Bjorn Fratangelo, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship second round.
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The two-time Houston finalist won 26 of 29 first-serve points in a 66-minute win raising his record to 7-6 on the season.
Querrey doubled Fratangelo's winner total—27 to 13—and converted three of seven break-point chances.
"I felt good," Querrey told Tennis Channel afterward. "I felt like I served well. I played aggressive. I want to have matches with a lot of winners and a lot of errors and that's what I did.
"I need to play like that. I need to play aggressive and go after returns and just kind of impose myself on guys."
Both players had success imposing their forehands throughout the early stages of the match.
Fratangelo basically broke himself in the eighth game missing a couple of forehands, including a stray forehand down the line, to gift the break and a 5-3 lead to his compatriot.
On his second set point, Querrey thumped a smash into the second row to snatch the 27-minute opener.
Another unruly forehand put Fratangelo in a triple break point bind in his second service game of the second set. Telegraphing a tame drop shot, Fratangelo paid a severe price as Querrey streaked forward and rapped a winner breaking at love for 2-1.
Easy power oozes from Querrey's right arm on serve. He can clock 130 mph serves effortlessly. Blasting a 142 mph ace down the T, Querrey consolidated for 3-1.
They exchanged breaks in the sixth and seventh games. When Fratangelo found the tape with a slice backhand, Querrey had his third break and a 4-3 second-set lead.
The eighth-seeded Querrey will play Guillermo Garcia-Lopez next. Garcia-Lopez fought off American wild card Noah Rubin, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3.
Querrey has won six of seven meetings with Garcia-Lopez, including a straight-sets win in Acapulco this season.
Wild card Janko Tipsarevic continued his inspired comeback. Tipsarevic converted three of seven break-point changes in a 6-1, 7-6 (4) triumph over 2018 finalist Tennys Sandgren.
"Before when I was coming to ATP events the goal was to try to play semis, finals maybe even win," Tipsarevic told Tennis Channel afterward. "Now at 34, turning 35 in June, I'm appreciating every single win now."
Next up for Tipsarevic is a second-round clash with third-seeded Cameron Norrie.
It was a tough day for Americans.
Swiss Henri Laaksonen surprised sixth-seeded American Mackenzie McDonald, 6-3, 6-4.
Laaksonen saved six of seven break points to set up a second-round meeting with Ryan Harrison, a 6-3, 6-4 victor over Ivo Karlovic yesterday.