Donald Young advances into 3rd round as Jurgen Melzer withdraws – Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011
Although the matchup of the fourth seed Jurgen Melzer and Donald Young, world No.128, seemed a mismatch, the 22-year-old American, Young, took a cheeky win as his challenger withdrew from the match with a left quad pull. Playing
the 2nd round at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, an ATP World Tour 500 event, the local lad bagged a 6-7(6), 6-4, 3-1 over his struggling Austrian opponent to win his 3rd round seat at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre in Rock
Creek Park.
Young, turning pro in 2004, was thrashed in straight sets in the pair’s previous meeting. The 22-year-old American is thought of as a rising star as many people supporting the game think that he can surpass most of his top rankers
in the coming years.
Melzer, on the other hand, was another top shot to be walking out of the tournament. It wasn’t until the third set that Young noticed his rival favouring his left leg. Suspended for an hour, the match was then announced in favour
of the American as Melzer could not continue.
However, the fixture kicked off with the Austrian making his ranking speak loud. Even though Melzer seemed limping from the start, he rushed his win in the first set breaking the American in the tiebreak. Totalling 44 points, Melzer
conceived 26 service points and 18 returners to lead the game 1-0.
The second set was a table turner for the American as he thrashed the world No.18 with 5 aces and saving 100 percent of the breakpoint chances. Pulling away 37 points in the second set, Young totalled with 23 service points and
14 returners to bag the set 6-4 taking the match into the decider set.
Young’s dominance continued as he lead the decider 3-1 in the fourth game before Jurgen decided to withdraw from the match pulling his left quad. The match ended 6-7(6), 6-4 and 3-1 to Young.
After the match the 22-year-old talked to the press about Melzer’s injury and his potential chances. He said:
“Definitely, I would like to win the last point and have the score be 6-whatever, but I felt like I put him in the position where, I feel like, if he was up or he felt like he could come back and win, I’m sure he probably would’ve
kept playing,” Young said. “But no, I’m just happy to move on to the third round. I played well enough to be in the match and be in a winning position.”
Donald Young now sits to face Michael Russell for a spot in the quarter-finals.
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