Denis Istomin stuns Pablo Andujar to reach round two – Proton Malaysian Open 2012
Uzbekistani star, Denis Istomin, surprised everyone after upsetting the sixth seed, Pablo Andujar from Spain, in straight sets at the Proton Malaysian Open 2012 on Wednesday. He jolted down a 6-3, 6-2 victory against his fellow 26-year-old to power into
the round of 16 at this indoor hard court event taking place in Bukit Jalil, Malaysia.
The Russian-born Istomin showed superb skills to outsmart the world number 42 in their second encounter this season. After clobbering this victory in one hour and 13 minutes, Istomin improved to a 2-0 lifetime in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)
Head 2 Head Series against the Spaniard and advanced into the second round at the Putra Indoor Stadium.
Istomin comfortably entered this ATP World Tour 250 Series event. He smashed powerful forehands and backhands, eventually swiping his entire serves without facing any trouble. The Uzbek got the breakthrough in the eighth game after capitalising on one out
of four break chances and clinched the opener with a 6-3 score line.
Ranked 46th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Istomin maintained his intensity in the following set. After breaking the Spaniard’s serve twice, Istomin leaped to a 4-1 lead. Despite losing his serve in the sixth game, the Uzbek
broke again and ultimately bagged the set with a 6-2 win. He failed to ward off the lone breakpoint he faced but converted three out of four break chances to dominate.
Summing up performance of the unseeded player, Istomin registered impressive stats in this battle. He fired six aces and committed fewer double faults. The Uzbek also produced a higher first serve share of 61 per cent as compared to his rival’s 47 per cent
and availed 27 out of 35 points on it.
Istomin will square off against Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko who dumped the Indian lucky loser, Sanam Singh, in straight sets to set up this meeting.
The Russian challenger, Alex Bogomolov Jr. will join Istomin in the proceeding round. He registered a 7-5, 6-3 score line against the British qualifier, Dominic Inglot, in one hour and six minutes to progress.
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