Alex Bogdanovic upsets Uladzimir Ignatik
in 1st round – Charlottesville Challenger 2011
British Lucky Loser Alex Bogdanovic got the best of sixth seeded Belarusian Uladzimir Ignatik in the first round of the Charlottesville Challenger 2011.
The two had taken up swords on indoor hard courts of the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. After one hour and forty two minutes Alex smashed Ignatik in straight sets of 7-6(5), 6-1 on Tuesday the 1st
of November 2011.
The first round for the match was kicked open by Ignatik and he held his serve to commence the scoreboard at 1-0. Following behind was Bogdanovic, who too held his serve and placed himself on the scoreboard at 1-1. Serve switched
and Ignatik smashed a crosscourt shot to bag the following game and by the end of the third game the score had shifted to 2-1 with Ignatik leading the set.
However, in the following two games the players broke each other back-to-back and as Bogdanovic held his serve, he annulled the deficit at 3-3 by the end of the sixth game. From there onwards, neither player wanted the other to
take the lead and the score kept tied at 4-4, and then 5-5. As they matched a blow for a blow, the set was eventually pushed into a tiebreaker at the end of the twelfth game.
The toe-to-toe leg conceded well into the tiebreaker and the players tied the score at five points each. However in the last two points Alex was able to break his adversary and bag two consecutive games to clinch the tiebreaker
at 7-5. In doing so; he bagged the opening set and was now one up in the match.
After taking a beating in the opening set, Ignatik was unable to make a return in the second set and had given all hope. Initiating the set was Bogdanovic and he successfully held his serve to place himself on the scoreboard at
1-0. As Ignatik double faulted he endorsed a breakpoint to his adversary, who had now taken a mini lead of 2-0 on the scoreboard.
Alex was able to repeat the feat and further increased his lead to 4-0 and as he held his serve he was standing at 5-0 on the scoreboard. He had managed to reel off straight five games against his adversary, who had thrown in the
towel. During the last two games they players held their serves and in doing so; Bogdanovic sealed his victory of the match.
Next up for Alex is unseeded Amer Delic in the second round of the Charlottesville Challenger.
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