Eduardo Schwank knocks-out top seed Rui Machado in semi-final – BVA Open 2011 CH
Top seed Portuguese, Rui Machado, locked horns with the Argentine, Eduardo Schwank, in the semi-final of BVA Open Challenger tournament, hosted in Brazil, on Saturday October 29th. It was a perfect opportunity for the
top seed to level the head-to-head tally and revenge his 2009 loss on Saturday. But unfortunately it was not his day and Schwank stunned the viewers with a straight set 6-3, 6-4 triumph over him in an hour and thirty-five minutes.
World No.80, Machado, was in sublime touch throughout the tournament and was undoubtedly the most consistent performer but in this match he looked completely out of touch and was overpowered by an inferior ranked contestant. Everyone
was flabbergasted and couldn’t believe that the top seed has been knocked-out in straight sets.
The Argentine started the match in poor fashion and lost the first game on his serve and allowed an initial advantage to his opponent who pushed the score to 2-0 in the next game. Surprisingly Machado broke again and pushed the
score to 3-0 and looked set to seal the first set in next few minutes but an exciting comeback from his opponent stole the set under his nose.
Schwank broke his competitor’s serve in the fourth game and bagged the fifth game, striking couple of aces. He broke again and pushed to score to 3-3 and then won the next three games and finished his dazzling comeback and won
six games in a row by breaking thrice in succession.
Everyone was surprised at this extraordinary performance from the inferior ranked contender; Machado's dream of leveling up the head-to-head seemed obscure.
25-year-old, Schwank, won twenty-nine points compared to just twenty of his opponent and bagged the first set with a comprehensive first serve and first return success rate of 60% and 100% respectively. It required something special
in the second set from the top seed to stop this onslaught and enhance his chances of making it to the final.
The top seed kicked-off the second set by winning the first game and both players held on to their serves for the first our games and pushed the score to 2-2. It was World No.164 breaking first in the fifth game and capitalizing
it by winning the next game to push the score to 4-2 in his favour.
In the next two games both players exchanged breaks and pushed the score to 5-3 and unfortunately Machado was really close to break once again but couldn’t capitalized on the opportunity provided to him and his opponent held on
to his nerves and clinched the most important point to win the set.
The upset knocks-out the tournament favourite and the final will be played between Eduardo Schwank and the winner of the second semi-final between Thiago Alves and Ricardo Mello.
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