1 Response to saopaulo12volandri.nalbandian.

1. Voo de Mar says:

   March 21, 2016 at 11:16 am

   Points won by each set: | 30-38, 33-24, 43-37 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   14 % Volandri – 15 of 105
   20 % Nalbandian – 20 of 100

   In 2012 the Brasil Open moved from Costa Do Sauipe to Sao Paulo becoming the lone event in the tennis calendar held on clay-court indoors (until 2016). The 30-year-old Volandri [69], who was almost entire career glued to the clay-courts, reached his ninth last ATP final in Sao Paulo; before it happened in an entertaining duel he ousted his Argentinian peer Nalbandian (Volandri four months older) in the quarterfinals. Volandri known as the weakest server among players born in the 80s with their 6 feet height or more, possessed tremendous backhand and it was one of those days when that particular stroke was working exceptionally well. Nalbandian [84] led 5:4* (15-all) in the 3rd set, but the Italian took the final three games. Nalbandian had a distinctively positive ratio of tight matches throughout his career losing only 1-2 matches per season as he put himself in a good position the victory, but in 2012 he lost as many as seven matches being a game away from victory and perhaps it somehow made an impact on his decision to finish his career in March 2013 – he simply wasn’t physically able to deliver his best tennis at the end of long matches…

   Nalbandian’s tight defeats in 2012:
   Australian Open: J.Isner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-7(5), 8-10… two points away (3 mini MPs)
   Sao Paulo: F.Volandri 6-3, 3-6, 5-7… three points away
   Indian Wells: R.Nadal 6-4, 5-7, 4-6… two points away
   Davis Cup: M.Cilic 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(2), 3-6… five points away (2 mini MPs)
   Belgrade: A.Seppi 6-2, 2-6, 5-7… four points away
   Rome: A.Murray 1-6, 6-4, 5-7… three points away
   Cincinnati: T.Haas 7-6(0), 6-7(4), 3-6… one point away

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