Super Mario Passes Summerer Test
19 June 2005
by By Henry Wancke
The tenth seeded Mario Ancic of Croatia - a semi-finalist in 2004, was given a good test by the German qualifier Tobias Summerer.
Ancic, who is very much in the image of his hero Goran Ivanisevic with his big serve and wide reach, needed all his grass court experience to quell the challenge of Wimbledon debutant Summerer.
Summerer, at 22 a year older than his conqueror, was certainly not disgraced out on Court 18 as, for much of the early part of the match, he kept in contention. At the end of the day it was Ancic's more controlled approach and greater experience of grass that helped him through the 98-minute encounter to a 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Ancic was able to assert himself early with his serve as Summerer felt his way, obviously very much aware of his surroundings having never been to Wimbledon and the Club before.
But he quickly regained his composure to exchange shots whilst attempting to make up ground, holding his own very much more in the second set where he extended Ancic to the full before eventually having to capitulate in the 12th game.
The effort proved costly as Summerer ran out of steam in the third when everyone was expecting the match to possibly go to a fourth.
Ancic certainly deserved his victory. He delivered 19 aces and was consistent on his serve winning a high percentage of his points. Similarly his return game was solid as reflected by the five breaks he secured and the 40 winners he struck.