Barcelona: David downs Kunitsyn 7-5, 6-4

David won his first match this week at Barcelona today, defeating Igor Kunitsyn 7-5, 6-4. It's the first time he has won a match in straight sets since the third round at Indian Wells. After close to one and a half hours, David broke Kunitsyn as the Russian served to stay in the match, converting his first match point.
In the third round tomorrow, David will face Nicolas Almagro. He lost their last two encounters, both of which took place on clay (after beating him on hardcourt back in 2007), in the final of Acapulco and at the Masters in Rome, last year. During those matches, David never found a way of dealing with Almagro's serve.

Set1
David served first in this match and held fairly easily by his standards, making first serves and hitting an unusually early ace. But it would be be the last one for today. After Kunitsyn had levelled the score at 1-1, David struggled with his serve in the next game, barely making any first serves. - And not winning points on his second. The result was a first break point for Kunitsyn, which the Russian converted to go up 2-1. After that, both held their serves throughout the next five games. David to 30 but at least without any deuces or further break points. Kunitsyn to love. Until 4-3, David had won exactly two points on return (both in Kunitsyn's first service game). In the following game, however, David managed to take the Russian to deuce for the first time. Kunitsyn managed to get through to 5-3 but at least it was a first sign that either his serve was getting a little weaker or that perhaps David was beginning to find his returns. David held (once again to 30) to stay in the set and make it 5-4. Then it was Kunitsyn's turn, trying to close out the set. At 30-40, David had his first break point of the match and didn't convert it. But he was given another chance and this time, he finally got the re-break. 5-5. David's following service game was a crucial one and when he started it with his first double fault of the day, I began to fear the worst... But he instantly recovered and went on to win the next four points, the last and decisive two of which on second serves. 6-5. Now Kunitsyn had to serve to stay in the match. He quickly went down 0-40, granting David 3 set points, saved the first - but not the second one. 7-5.

Set 2
At the start of this set, there was a bit of a problem with the scoreboard. By the time it was working again, Kunitsyn had already broken David for a 1-0 lead. But only to follow it up by dropping his own serve to 15, 1-1. The next two games were more of the same: Kunitsyn broke, David broke back. 2-2. So now the question was who would be the first to hold serve again... It was David, who went up 3-2 with somewhat unexpected ease. But Kunitsyn followed suit and held, though not as easily, for 3-3. Then came what even on the scoreboard could be easily identified as David's worst game today. At 15-15, he made two double faults in a row, gifting Kunitsyn two break points. The Russian converted the second and now led 4-3. But consistent with the overall "theme" of this set, his lead didn't last for long as David once again managed to break back immediately. 4-4. David's next game briefly went to 15-30 but he won the next three points and went up 5-4, now with the chance to break Kunitsyn for the match. At 30-30, Kunitsyn's only double fault in the entire match gave David his first match point. And he took it. 6-4.

The serve situation is apparently still the same. Still the same problems. He makes too few first serves and wins too few points on his second. - And that's about as much as it is possible to gather from just looking at the numbers on the scoreboard. Still, I'm happy to see him recover from being a break (or a number of those, in this case) down. And finally win a match in straights again. Even if it's with ten breaks...


Update
A couple of quotes from David after today's match, though in reply to more general questions...

About his varying level of play
"I think I'm still having some ups and downs, but I can try to improve and get back to the way it was, and aim to win major tournaments."

About possible reasons for those ups and downs
"I could never say and that's what gives me hope that I will play well again, some time."

About his clay-court schedule
"Very compressed. It's difficult to leave out some tournaments because of all the big tournaments."

About new Madrid Masters
"After Madrid, there's only one week to go to Paris and adapt but there's a 700-meter difference in altitude and you feel it. Whether indoors or outdoors, it feels a little faster. - But that's the way it has been decided."
(Source: infobae.com)


Match stats...
1st serve: 48%
Aces: 1
DFs: 4
BP Conversion: 6/12
Points won on 1st serve: 70%
Points won on 2nd serve: 41%








(AP Photo)