Go Soeda, Rajeev Ram win first round matches – Eckental Challenger 2011
The first round matches of the 2011 Eckental Challenger on October 31, 2011 featured hopeful players trying to win their respective matches to progress into the tournament. Go Soeda (Japan) won his match against Marcel Zimmermann
(Germany).
The 27-year old Japanese won the match 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 as he faced some resistance from the 26-year old German. Zimmermann was going strong in the match with twenty-one aces and saved ten out of his thirteen break points. The
Japanese, ranked at 117th spot in the world, could manage to deliver only ten aces with double faults on six occasions during the game.
In the first set, the German took the lead by winning the first set 6-4 as 352nd ranked Zimmermann had a flying start against the Japanese. Zimmermann did not concede any double fault that showed he was keeping a close
eye on his shots.
In the second set, both players wanted to create a lead over their opponent as the match entered into a tiebreaker. Zimmermann was again on the front foot as he delivered thirteen aces in the second set alone while Soeda could
deliver four aces.
Both players were giving each other a tough time, as the second set was one that tested their nerves. As far as saving breakpoints was concerned, both players won all of their breakpoints. The German was looking for a second set
win to seal the match but the Japanese was resilient as he won the second set 7-6(5).
With both players winning one set each, the third set was the decisive one. Soeda started his counter attack in the third set, as he wanted to take an early lead. The Japanese saved all three of his break points while the German
could save six out of his eight.
Soeda was not providing any room to his German opponent as he contained Zimmermann to two games in the third set. Soeda won the third set 6-2 and with it the match, qualifying to enter the next round of the tournament.
In another match played in the day Rajeev Ram (USA) won his match against Joao Sousa (Portugal), 7-5, 7-6(5). It was evenly contested match as both players delivered ten aces each and conceded three double faults.
The 22-year old Portuguese could not reduce the pace of his 27-year old American opponent as he won the first set 7-5. Ram, ranked at 237th in the world, was the decisive leader in the first set as he had a 67% first
serve winning ratio as compared to the 52% rate showed by his opponent.
In the second set, 196th ranked Sousa, was going head-to-head with Ram forcing the set into a tiebreaker. Sousa also had a higher first serve rate than Ram but the American won the second set in a narrow win.
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