Harri Heliovaara ousts Shota Tagawa in the first round – Shimadzu Kyoto Challenger 2012
World number 219, Harri Heliovaara, won his second match of the season, as he beat Shota Tagawa of Japan in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 in the first round at the Shimadzu Kyoto Challenger on Monday.
The Finn, Heliovaara, required an hour and 15 minutes to come out victorious from the match.
Heliovaara and Tagawa could not create any break opportunity in the first 10 games of the opening set, squaring off the score at 5-5. The Finn missed the first one in the 11th but hit an overhead smash on the second
chance to take a 6-5 lead. Heliovaara grabbed four points in a row in the 12th game and sealed the set 7-5
The Finn made full use of his powerful first serves, smashing an incredible six aces and grabbing 18 of the 20 points on them. In comparison, Tagawa hit only one ace and won 13 of the 17 first delivery points. The Japanese failed
to produce any break point and was unable to save one of the two Heliovaara did in the opener.
With the winning momentum on his side, Heliovaara grabbed an early lead in the second set, breaking the Japanese in the third game and consolidating on it to move ahead 3-1. The Finn was under pressure to hold his serve in the
sixth game but avoided two break threats to escape. Heliovaara comfortable served out the set in the tenth, winning it 6-4.
The 22-year-old’s serve performance dropped a bit, as he committed a couple of double faults and delivered just 55 percent of the first deliveries. However, he remained firm on the return play, clinching six of the 14 points on
the second ones.
Heliovaara’s only previous win came at the Kazan Challenger, when he beat Sergei Bubka of Ukraine in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the first round. The right-hander retired against Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia after losing the
first set 5-7 in the round of 32 at the Singapore Challenger last week.
The Finn will face either world number 501, Samuel Groth of Australia, or qualifier Brydan Klein in the second round.
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