Tennis: Emotional Malisse snaps losing streak

LOS ANGELES: Xavier Malisse snapped a racquet over his knee in a fit of anger but eventually got his game under control to end a four-match, first-round losing streak at the Los Angeles Open. The fifth-seeded Belgian levelled his record at the ATP Tour event at 8-8 as he beat recent UCLA graduate Nicolas Meister, of the US, 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the second round. It marked the first match win for Malisse here since 2005 when he defeated Tommy Haas in the second round and eventually reached the quarter-finals. “Hopefully I can keep this up,” said Malisse. “I didn’t know my opponent’s game, but I remembered that I had hit with him before. He’s a good player who hangs in.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2012.