Rafael Nadal’s countryman, Nicolas Almagro, has been defeated by Tommy Haas of Germany in the first round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters 2012. Haas won the match by 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.
Haas didn’t start the match well and he was on the verge of being knocked out of the competition at one point of time. But, in the tie breaker of the second set, Almagro didn’t capitalize on the opportunities and lost the plot.
After winning the match, Haas said, “When the second set went into the tie breaker, I got a bit nervous. But, fortunately, I won that tie breaker and managed to take the match to the third set.”
“I still can’t believe that I have won the match. To make a comeback from that stage was very tough.”
In the opening set, both the players held their service in the first four games and the scores were levelled at 2-2. But, in the fifth game, Haas wasn’t able to hold his service. Almagro got a breakthrough and then, served out the next game to get ahead by 4-2.
Haas desperately needed a breakthrough to make a comeback in the set, but, the German player didn’t manage to do so. Almagro held his service in the 8th and the 10th game and sealed the first set by 6-4.
In the second set, the first twelve games went with the serve and the set went into the tie breaker. In the tie breaker, Haas got ahead by 4-1 and then, kept the lead till the end to win the tie breaker.
Haas carried on the momentum in the final set as well. He got five breakpoints in the third set and he capitalized on two of them to win the third set by 6-2.
In the second round, Haas will take on Tommy Robredo of Spain.