HEAVY BREATHING CAN’T STOP LOPEZ

Johannesburg, South Africa - February 3, 2010

Third seed Feliciano Lopez progressed into the quarterfinals of the South African tennis Open at Montecasino last night but is still battling to overcome the altitude.

It is not so much that his game is suffering – he easily beat Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to prove that – but he still has problems breathing. “The first set was okay but in the second set I started feeling tired and I couldn’t breathe. I’ve been here almost a week and so I don’t understand it. Hopefully I’ll be better by Friday.”

Lopez built up a 4-0 lead before Kavcic got his name on the board and the Spaniard earned his first set point with a punishing forehand winner. He clinched it a point later when the Slovenian pushed his backhand long. In the second set Lopez’s intensity dropped but that was due to his breathing problems. However, once in the tie-break the third seed was always in front and moved through to the quarter-finals when a Kavcic backhand sailed into the net.   

On Friday, he will come up against fifth seed Rajeev Ram of the USA. He beat Germany’s Bjorn Phau 7-6 (12-10), 7-6 (7-2) in a most uninspiring contest. The fact that Ram hit just seven winners, made 43 unforced errors and still managed to win probably puts that match in perspective

Ram could have closed it out when he served for match at 5-4 in the second set but won just one point – an ace – in that game. However, he lifted his level of play in the tie-break to avoid taking the match into a deciding set.  

Jamaica’s Dustin Brown is proving to be one of the revelations at this tournament and he powered his way into the quarterfinals with 6-4, 6-4 victory over Laurent Recourdec of France to set up an encounter with eighth seed Stephane Robert of France.

Robert halted South African Izak van der Merwe’s attempt to reach the quarterfinals, scoring a 7-6 (9-7) 6-1 victory in one hour and 20 minutes. Van der Merwe had his opportunities in the opening set but towards the end of the tie-break his serve began to fail him. Unfortunately it  totally disintegrated in the second and with it his chances of progressing in the tournament.

“I would have to say that this was a missed opportunity for me,’’ admitted the South African. “I thought I had a pretty good chance of winning this match.”

Also out are doubles top seeds Wesley Moodie and Zimbabwean partner Kevin Ullyett. A “stress reaction” in his left foot has been troubling Moodie who will now take a month to six weeks off in order to rest, but it was more the play of opponents Xavier Malisse of Belgium and France’s Steve Darcis that brought about their 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3) demise.