Dudi Sela ousts Marinko Matosevic in final qualifier – Rakuten Open 2011
Dudi Sela, World No.102, tipped off with winning the main draw seat of the Rakuten Open 2011, Tokyo, washing away Marinko Matosevic in the final qualifier round. The two rallied out for 2 hours and 34 minutes before the Israeli
bagged the set winning, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4.
Firing up with the first game of the match, Matosevic started off with the first game of the matching winning 1-0. Following up with the challenger, Sela, Israeli, went off levelling the scores with the Australian, 1-1. Rallying
down a game each the two once again levelled up at 2-2 before the two broke each other.
With scores at 3-3, Matosevic flared up with a serve-n-break technique and led the match 5-3. However, Sela struck back with a break-n-serve oppose, and levelled up at 5-5. With the two battling out hard, the two eventually ended
up in a tiebreak. Sela struck as he blistered away with the first set winning 7-6(4).
Moving on with the second, the table turned as the Matosevic took his revenge. Breaking the Israeli in the first game of the set, the Aussie extended his lead serving out game 2 and switching the serve. Sela did cut back the lead
however, could not break back to level up with his challenger.
As the two rallied down winning their respective serves, Matosevic kept his pressure onto the Israeli and struck back again later in the set. serving out game 8, the Aussie broke the his challenger for the second time in the set,
game 9, and levelled up the match scores 1-1 winning the set 6-3.
With the two now on equal terms, Matosevic served first for the decider. Sela, with a magnificent forehand winner, broke the Aussie in the opening game of the set and took lead serving out game 2, 2-0. Winning his first game of
the set, Matosevic kept of the Israeli’s tail but could not hold on for long.
Breaking Matosevic again in game 5, Sela extended his lead to 4-1 and served out game 6 to muster away to a huge 5-1 lead in the decider. Winning a game back, 2-5, Matosevic did cut the lead; however, his loss was now certain.
Working his way up the Aussie did pull back to 4-5 as he broke-n-served yet could not finish off winning as Sela blistered the final game of the match winning the set 6-4 and the match 2-1 to make his way into the main draw of
the Rakuten Open 2011.
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