Biggest upsets of 2011 ATP season: Part Three – Tennis Special
Some tennis fans say that a player with relatively lower ranking has mush lesser pressure of competing against a top class player, as he has nothing to lose in the end. Being a top ranked player in the professional circuit brings
a lot more responsibility of winning and maintaining their dominance in the sport. Sometimes it happens that an aggressive start from a weaker opponent gives him such momentum in the game that he keeps building pressure upon his highly-skilled opponent. Upsets
are not common in the game of tennis but they certainly are the most thrilling part of the sport.
We will continue to revive our memories to review some of the biggest upsets witnessed in the 2011 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season, in which top ranked players bowed out to the competitors ranked way below them.
Donald Young vs. Andy Murray – Indian Wells second round
The 2011 ATP season witnessed a number of upcoming tennis stars, who stunned everyone with their amazing talents. One of them was 22-year-old American prodigy, Donald Young, who took off the season as the world number 129 and finished
it off in style by claiming the 39th rank in the South African Airways ATP World Rankings.
Young finished the circuit run with 19-17 winning record and he is still labouring to get his hands on his maiden ATP championship title. After showing his amazing abilities in the ATP Challenger Tour this year, The American displayed
his mettle with brilliant runs at Washington and Bangkok. Young stunned everyone with his career-best victory over the then world number five, Andy Murray of Great Britain, in the second round of the BNP Paribas Indian Wells.
British number one, Murray, was still in a state of disbelief after his loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open, followed by an opening round loss to 20th ranked Marcos Baghdatis at Rotterdam. He received
a bye to play the second round match at Indian Wells, facing the American sensation, Young, to revive his confidence in the game.
Young went into the contest as the 143rd ranked underdog and it was hardly expected that he will be able to take down the then fifth ranked opponent. The American had registered just one World Tour-level victory at that
time but the way he manhandled the British number one was a performance of sorts. Murray was blown away in straight sets, 6-7(4), 3-6, to suffer his third consecutive defeat of the season.
An enthralling opening set was witnessed, with Murray labouring hard to maintain his legacy in the game and dragging the set into a tie-breaker round. Young took the better of the Scott to claim the opening set tie-breaker and
then carried on with his winning impetus in the following set to register one of the biggest upsets of the season.
“I'd been in this position a couple of times with a few players and had not won the match,” reflected the jubilant Young after his emphatic win over a Top-5 player in the world. “I just told myself this time I was going to see
it through and not let the nerves get the best of me.”
It is believed that Young, along with Mardy Fish, John Isner and Ryan Harrison, are the players who will carry on the legacy of American tennis in the future, after Andy Roddick diminish away with his lack of consistency.
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