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Pacific

Rosol squeezes by Kubot at Thailand Open

By AFP
Published | Updated
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Czech Republic's Lukas Rosol returns to Italy's Fabio Fognini during their French Tennis Open second round match in Paris on May 30, 2013. Eighth seeded Rosol smashed 16 aces as he continued an upturn in form with a three-set win over Poland's Lukasz Kubot at the Thailand Open on Tuesday. (AFP/File)

BANGKOK (AFP) – Eighth seeded Lukas Rosol smashed 16 aces as he continued an upturn in form with a three-set win over Poland's Lukasz Kubot at the Thailand Open on Tuesday.

The giant Czech, who has endured a dismal run since claiming his breakthrough ATP title in April, beat Kubot 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2).

Right-handed Rosol, who stands at six feet five inches (196 centimetres) tall, relied on his booming serve on the Bangkok hard court to secure passage into the third round.

But the close match had to be settled by a third-set tiebreaker, where Rosol took a 5-0 lead, before claiming victory with the first of four match points as Wimbledon quarter-finalist Kubot hit the net with a backhand return.

"The third set was not easy," said Rosol. "He was playing tough, aggressive tennis. I was lucky to win it, but I'm really glad I did. It's great to be in the second round."

The world number 46 said he was coming back to form after a dreadful few months following his win in Bucharest.

"I had so many bad matches and zero confidence. But I've been putting in a lot of hard work and maybe things are starting to change. I feel like I'm coming back.

"Everyone is practising so hard, there are no easy matches," said the 31-year-old, who was a key member of the Czech team that swatted away Argentina in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup earlier this month.

His summer had been one to forget with eight consecutive opening round losses, starting at Wimbledon where he failed to emulate his heroics of 2012 when he knocked out Rafael Nadal in an epic five-setter.

But after reaching the quarters last week in St Petersburg, Rosol said his hard work on the training courts was paying off.

Both Rosol and Kubot were making their Bangkok debuts on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Slovak Lukas Lacko moved into the second round by beating Colombia's Alejandro Falla 6-3, 6-2.

It was more bad news for Colombia when Japan's Go Soeda defeated Santiago Giraldo 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.