Chris Guccione shocks Mischa Zverev to enter round two – JSM Challenger 2012
Australian qualifier, Chris Guccione, stunned the second seed, Mischa Zverev, in straight sets at the JSM Challenger 2012 on Tuesday. He notched up a 6-4, 6-3 success against the German seed to charge into the second round at this ATP (Association of Tennis
Professionals) Challenger Tour event held in Champaign in Illinois, United States.
The underdog showed top quality performance to upset Zverev in their second meeting. The players last battled each other in Australian eight years ago and after earning this victory, Guccione avenged his loss and progressed into the round of 16.
Guccione comfortably entered this hard court event. The Aussie smoothly swiped his entire serves. He got the breakthrough in the last game and ultimately pocketed the opener with a 6-4 success. Guccione dusted away all three breakpoints he came across and
converted one out of two break chances to his advantage.
Ranked 547th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Guccione lost the right track towards the following set. He endured the initial blow in the fifth game and fell at 2-3. However, the Aussie went berserk after that and reeled off
four games in a row. He brushed off one out of two breakpoints he came across and marked two out of three break chances to steal the spotlight.
Summing up the seeds’ performance, Zverev hammered only six aces and spilled four double faults. He clobbered a lower first serve share of 44 per cent as compared to his rival’s 58 per cent and availed only one out of five break chances. The world number
159 withstood 15 aces and ended the match with 51 points.
Guccione on the other end set up a date with his compatriot, John-Patrick Smith, who dumped South Korea’s Suk-Young Jeong in straight sets to set up this meeting.
The top seed, Michael Russell, faced better fate earlier that day. He failed to ward off both breakpoints he came across in his match against Switzerland’s Adrien Bossel. However, the American cashed four out of seven break chances to formulate a 6-4, 6-4
score line in one hour and 15 minutes.
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