Benjamin Becker Tennis: July 2008

Monday, July 28, 2008

CINCINNATI — Benjamin Becker played his way into one of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year with a straight-set victory in Sunday’s final round of the qualifier at the $2.6 million Western and Southern Financial Group Masters.

The former Baylor all-American and 2004 NCAA champion served up six aces and got four breaks in a 7-6 (1), 6-1 victory over George Bastl to reach the 64-player main draw that starts today.

Baylor junior Denes Lukacs lost to Korean Woong-Sun Jun in the first round of the qualifier on Saturday. Jun lost to Australian Chris Guccione, 6-4, 6-3, on Sunday.

Becker, ranked 111th in the world, will face 86th-ranked Florent Serra of France in the first round for a chance at second-ranked Rafael Nadal. The reigning French and Wimbledon champion defeated Becker, 7-5, 6-2, at the ATP Masters Series tournament earlier this year in Miami.

Germany’s Benjamin Becker topped Denmark’s Kristian Pless 6-3, 6-4 in today’s first round action in the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

“I won the first set and felt good about it,” Becker said. “He came back and played a little better in the second set and broke me at 2-all. I lost my concentration a little. Obviously, you don’t want to go three sets.”
Becker broke Pless’ serve to tie at 4-all.

“That was crucial, it broke him down a little bit,” Becker said. “I felt better about my game and it worked out at the end.”