Dmitry Tursunov wins Singapore ATP Challenger Tournament
A former world number twenty player in 2006, Dmitry Tursunov, won his first Challenger event of the year this week after a first round exit in the 2011 Australian Open.
Ranked 197 in the world now, Tursunov, dropped out of the top 20 after being forced to retire with a severe left ankle injury. However, undergone surgery several times with the last one being in Feb 2010, Tursunov returned tennis all fit and healthy.
After receiving a protected ranking in the 2011 Australian Open, Tursunov was ousted in the first round by twenty-ninth seed, Viktor Troicki.
Unseeded in the Challenger Tournament, Tursunov started his ascent in the main draw dismissing sixth seeded, Ivo Minar, in straight sets. Extending his no set loss record, Tursunov next defeated Indian wildcard entrant, Karan Rastogi.
The Russian’s first bump in otherwise smooth sailing came in the third round when he played Italian, Flavio Capolla. Bouncing back from being one set down, Tursunov eventually prevailed in three sets registering a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 for the match.
Tursunov’s semi-final clash in the event was setup with eighth seed, Andrej Martin.
Defeating Martin 6-4, 6-3, Tursunov moved into the finals where he played fifth seed, Lukas Rosol. This was the third seeded player Tursunov had met in his event run so far.
Taking only sixty-five minutes against the Czech giant, Tursunov was able to clinch another straight sets victory losing only six games in the process.
Striking an 88% success rate in the first serve and losing only 11 points, Tursunov was able to secure a 6-4 victory in the first set before clinching a 6-2 win in the second set. The win awarded Tursunov with 90 points with a cash prize of US$ 7,200.
A delighted Russian told the press, “I’m happy to win a tough challenger like this after a long time. I’m happy with the way I played and am sure that this is the beginning for a good season ahead”.
Applauding his opponent for the win, Rosol said, “Tursunov played really well today, his serves were powerful and aggressive. He is an impressive player”.
As the runner up, Rosol walks away with US$ 4,240 along with 55 points.
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