Amer Delic gets rid of John-Patrick Smith in 1st round of Knoxville Challenger 2011
Amer Delic got rid of wildcard entrant John-Patrick Smith in the first round of the Knoxville Challenger 2011.
The two players had taken up the challenge on indoor hard courts of the University of Tennessee’s Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. After two hours and twenty minutes Delic survived a mid match fall of 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 against Australian wildcard entrant Smith on the 9th of November 2011.
Although Smith had targeted 78 percent of his first serves, he was only able to attain 63 percent of first serve points won, while, Delic had targeted 65 percent of his first serves but had accomplished a 75 percent of his first service points won in the opening set.
Initiating the first round of the match after winning the service pitch was Delic and he had to battle a few deuces before he could hold his service game and placed himself on the scoreboard at 1-0. Following at his heels was Smith and he too held his service game to ease himself on the scoreboard at 1-1. In the following four games, the set proceeded on even terms and the score tied at 2-2 and then 3-3 at the end of the sixth game.
As the two matched a blow for a blow, the score once more balanced out at 4-4 at the end of the eighth game and then finally at five games each by the end of the tenth game. During the last two games Delic struck a pot of gold as he not only held his serve in the eleventh game but also broke his adversary for the first and last time during the twelfth game. He clogged the opening set with a 7-5 victory and was now one up in the match.
After taking a beating in the opening set, Smith pulled up his socks and geared to bag the second set. During the second set, both the challengers bagged their service games and placed themselves on the scoreboard at 1-1. However, in the third game Delic had double faulted on his serve and endorsed an early breakpoint to his adversary. On the other hand, Smith had taken the lead by capitalizing on the breakpoint and then with a hold of serve in the fourth game, he reeled off straight two games.
During the following two games, the players once more won a game on their respective serves but as Smith’s forehand went wayward, he endorsed a crucial break to his adversary, who then capitalized on the breakpoint and held his serve to equalize the score at four games each by the end of the eighth game. The score once more tied at five games each at the end of the tenth game as the two once more bagged a game each on their own serves.
However, during the eleventh game as Delic’s backhand went haywire, he erred and endorsed an important game to Smith, who then held his serve and clogged the second set.
At the end of the first two sets, both the players had bagged a set each and opening the decisive set was once again Delic and this time he powered through the third set and by capitalizing on a single breakpoint sealed his victory of the set and the match.
Delic managed to reserve a spot in the second round of the tournament where he will be facing compatriot Mirza Basic.
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