Dustin Brown saw off Andreas Haider-Maurer in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle today, beating his opponents in straight sets in a marvellous performance.

Despite the eventual outcome, the first set was extremely tight, the match remaining on serve as we neared a potential tie-break. Brown was exuding creativity and confidence, keeping his service games very comfortable, whilst Haider-Maurer's powerful, well-placed serve was proving a problem for the German too and preventing him from taking the lead.

Neither really played well enough to break in the first ten games or so, threatening to do so at times but failing to follow through, but Brown still looked the best bet to do so at some point.

He was adventurous throughout, displaying a variety of shots, as well as good agility and some great attacking net play. Haider-Maurer responded well during the match, with some silky touches of his own cancelling out the German, and the chance came for the Austrian to break at a perfect time as Brown served to stay in the set at 5-4.

However, under pressure, Brown played an exceptional service game, executing some deliciously confident shots that completely caught his opponent by surprise. Moments later, it was instead he with the opportunity to break as a couple of good returns, a frequent occurrence throughout his display, saw him take a 30-0 lead in Haider-Maurer's service game at 5-5.

A poorly executed drop shot spoiled the German's chance to grab a break point, but he quickly forgot about it with an exquisite one in the following point to set up two opportunities to take Haider-Maurer's service game. The Austrian saved both, attacking play and a fierce serve helping him do so, but a double fault as we reached deuce gave Brown a third bite of the cherry, and he took this brilliantly, using his agility to reach a drop shot and replying with one of his own that his opponent could not return.

Serving for the set, with the score at 6-5 his favour, Brown completed a strong service game, with good defending and quick reflexes, to take the game and the first set on his first set point.

It was a tight, tight opening set, with Haider-Maurer doing little wrong, but Brown just edged it thanks to his positive approach. With 12 unforced errors and five double faults, he still had room to improve in the second set, but he looked comfortable for now and had taken the lead as a result.

To get back into the match, Haider-Maurer would hope to get more first serves in. In the first set, he got just 60 per cent in, but had won 86 per cent of points when he managed to do so. More positive, attacking play would be needed too, as well as added power and conviction in his shots, having played just nine winners in comparison to Brown's 22 thus far.

A lucky net cord helped Haider-Maurer get off to a good start as he won his first service game, but if he was hoping for complacency from Brown after taking the first set, he will have been disappointed as the the 30-year-old kept the set on serve. Haider-Maurer's own lapse in concentration instead gave Brown three break points, with double faults and unforced errors the problem.

Two powerful serves saved the first couple, but the third was taken by his opponent with a marvellous return that put him a set and a break up.

The Austrian's confidence dropped from there, as if he had already accepted defeat. Brown continued to dominate the match as a result, and he broke for a second time after more errors from the 28-year-old, a double fault giving the German a break point and a poor drop shot attempt by Haider-Maurer giving him the game.

Brown served for the set, and a place in round two, at 5-2. His final game was comprehensive, with an ace on match point summing up the conviction, power and confidence that he had displayed in his hour and two minutes on court.

The 30-year-old ended the match with 14 aces, 35 winners, eight net points from 17 and had won 82 per cent of points on his first serve. It was a tidy, professional and exciting performance, consisting of points good enough to even earn acknowledgement from his opponent at times. He restricted Haider-Maurer to few opportunities, the 28-year-old failing to see a break point, and will be a tough test for his second round opponent - either Kei Nishikori or Dominic Thiem.

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About the author
Amee Ruszkai
Head of the Sunderland, Swansea City and women football sections at VAVEL UK. Email: [email protected]