Alexios Halebian ousts Thiago Monteiro to enter the 2nd round – 2011 US Open Boys’ Singles
American tennis player Alexios Halebian defeated number five seed Thiago Moura Monteiro of Brazil in three tight sets 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5 on Sunday to advance into the second round of 2011 US Open Boys’ Singles draw in New York.
The 17-year-old Halebian from United States showed strong temperament, character and fighting skills in a match that lasted for two hours and 26 minutes on court 4 of USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.
Clinching the opening set with some high quality tennis in the opening set, Halebian had to fight his own game in the following set. Giving a large number of unforced errors, he let his opponent to pocket the set to come back into
the match. However in the final set, Halebian overcame his nerves brilliantly as he completed an emphatic victory to keep his journey alive at Flushing Meadows in New York City.
Hitting the ball really hard, Halebian made a sensational start to the match. Playing his natural game freely, he forced his opponent to adopt a very defensive approach. With his powerful ground play, the 17-year-old made the Brazilian
run for his money. Breaking his opponent in one of the games, he only needed to hold on to his own service games.
Handling the situation superbly, Halebian earned a very respectable 5-4 lead in the set and he served to take the set. Clinching four straight points in a blink of an eye, the American bagged the opening set to take the driving
seat in the contest.
Looking for an entry back into the match, Monteiro raised the level of his game play as he came up with a terrific plan to get the better of his opponent. Using the hit and volley technique very successfully, he earned valuable
points throughout the second set to force it into a tie-breaker. With his impressive attitude, the number five seed outplayed his opponent to clinch the tie-breaker 7-4 and force the match into the final set.
Both players put up an extra ordinary performance in the decider as the crowd started to get involved as well. After the contestants held on to their serve games, the match stayed in balance with the game score tied at 5-5. Converting
his second break chance of the match, Halebian earned a tricky 6-5 lead, serving for the set.
Crafting a gorgeous backhand winner down the line, Halebian ended the match in style to complete a superb victory. His formidable mental abilities proved to be the key factor in his success. Halebian will be looking to continue
his good form in his next match-up as well as he takes on either German Julian Lenz or Belarusian Yaraslau Shyla.
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