Early exit for volatile fifth seed Gulbis in LA

Published>Fri, Jul 30 10 07:37 AM

Colombian Alejandro Falla produced the first upset at the LA Open with a gripping and occasionally tempestuous 4-6 6-3 7-6 victory over fifth-seeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the second round on Thursday.

Left-hander Falla came from 0-3 down in the third set and needed five match points before clinching the tiebreak 10-8 against a temperamental Gulbis at the LA Tennis Center.

Gulbis, who was repeatedly warned by the umpire for racket abuse, appeared to have the match in his grasp after taking early control in the third set but he then lost three successive games for Falla to level.

Although the Colombian failed to serve out the match when leading 5-4 and squandered a 6-4 advantage in the tiebreak, he finally wrapped up victory in two hours and 15 minutes when Gulbis netted a backhand.

"I played really well in the last set," a beaming but exhausted Falla said courtside after reaching his second ATP quarter-final of the year. "We were both tired ... and I am really happy to get through."

Asked whether he had benefited from his opponent's hot temper, Falla replied: "It helped me a lot.

"He gave me a few chances and I got them. He was playing great and serving unbelievable. I was just trying to be aggressive from the baseline because he was always dominating the point."

Gulbis, playing his first tournament since being sidelined in May by a hamstring injury he suffered at the French Open, felt he had paid the price for his recent inactivity.

FISHING LAYOFF

"If you don't fish for two months, maybe you don't fish too well," the 21-year-old told reporters with a smile. "I was so tired. It was really tough for me to go for long rallies.

"I was trying to make the points shorter and couldn't make any winners. I was running like a Spanish claycourt player. This was a joke."

Gulbis was docked one point after hurling his racket to the ground in frustration after being broken to trail 3-5 in the second set and was fortunate to escape another penalty at 8-7 down in the tiebreak.

"Whatever I would do, I would get a warning," he said. "This referee, his only fun in life is to give warnings. But if he had disqualified me in the tiebreak, that would be stupid. It wasn't the best tennis but they (the crowd) enjoyed it."

Fourth-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez booked his place in the last eight with a 7-6 6-4 victory over Israeli Dudi Sela in the first match of the day.

Lopez, who clinched his second ATP career title in Johannesburg in February, blasted 12 aces on the hardcourt surface to seal the win in one hour, 37 minutes. He will next meet either American James Blake or German Benjamin Becker.

British world number four and top seed Andy Murray was scheduled to make his first appearance of the week in Thursday's late match against American qualifier Tim Smyczek.

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