2010 Davis Cup Cro - Ecu Match1

Hello Davis Cup fans! Tennis Action Pack is here, presented in a series of photographs from opening match  of 2010 ITF Davis Cup match between Croatia and Ecuador, that took place at the New sports hall in  Varaždin, Croatia.

Croatia Team coach Goran Prpić invited Marin Čilić, Ivo Karlović, Antonio Veić and Ivan Dodig.

Ecuador Team coach Andres Gomez invited brothers Nicholas and Giovanni Lapentti, Julio-Cezar Campozano and Ivan Endara.

You can look the match stats on ITF Davis Cup pages by clicking here.

The first singles encounter brought the duel between Ivo Karlović for Croatia and Nicholas Lapentti,  the first player of Ecuador.

After winning the opening set, Croatian Ace Master, and the tallest player on ATP Tour, lost second and third set. Point by point, Lapentti ganied the self confidence, putting Ivo under heavy pressure, for a 2 - 1 lead in sets.

Well guided by his coach, Goran Prpić, Croatian tennis star Karlović regained his calmness and won furth and fifth set with fine blend of serves, voleys and some baseline action.

After the match point, Croatia led Ecuador 1 - 0, and Ivo lifted heavy pressure from currently best ranked Croatian player Marin Čilić.

Working together with the young and talented photographer Astrida

This coverage is also the opportunity to introduce the young and excellent photographer Zrinka "Astrida" Hrženjak to tennis photography fans! Allready brilliant and promissing young lady worked the first and third day with me, to bring you more attraction and the joy of tennis game!

I am amazed of her work, and hope that you'll too, will find it great!! Please wellcome Astrida to the world of sports photography!

You can click on any image to enlarge it, or right click and chose to open enlarged image in new tab of your web browser! Keep visiting Tigiphoto site, there's more action and real spectacular images on the way!

Lapentti served very well througout the match,

pressing Karlović most of the time to stay at the baseline.

As the match progressed, Karlović raised his return precision and power,

leaving ever less opportunities for Lapennti in fourth and fifth set.

Both players had to put their best potentials in due course to win.

Some net duels were spectacular, causing the outburst of applause.