Ivan Sozonov tames Nikita Khakimov in first round encounter at Russia Open Grand Prix
Russia’s elite shuttler Ivan Sozonov surged into next stage after taming his lower ranked compatriot Nikita Khakimov in Men’s Singles first round encounter at Russia Open Grand Prix 2012 at Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday, June 27.
The spirited Sozonov, who is currently World Number 75 and fourth seed in Men’s Singles draw of the tournament, had to play at his best and he managed to oust his talented rival in a thrilling manner with a respectable margin.
The fourth seeded Sozonov started his run in a quivering way but found his flow back at the right time in opening set and took it with a close margin. However, he proved his worth in the second game and bagged it in a comparatively easy manner.
The first game was quite surprising for everyone as the lower ranked Khakimov put up a staggering show of flawless badminton and created immense pressure on his fourth seeded compatriot at the early stage.
Sozonov, in the meanwhile, could not cope up with the perfect play of his un-seeded opponent and remained struggling behind at the score board. Until the break, the lower ranked Russian was leading the set with an 11-8 score.
After the one-minute interval, Khakimov sailed smoothly and reached at 18-14 when Sozonov changed his tactics and started to play his usual game.
The higher ranked Sozonov took the bird early and executed jumping smashes on side lines of his rival’s court.
Sozonov was quite focused in the ending points of first set and he took seven straight points to grab the game with a 21-18 score on the board.
In the second game, Sozonov did not let his rival to take even a small lead until the end of opening half when he was ahead on the score board by reaching at 11-10.
After the interval, Sozonov continued his positive and controlled play and did not miss any chance to earn points. He dictated rallies at the crucial stage of concluding half and took the game with a three-point margin of 21-18.
The fourth seeded Sozonov won this entertaining battle in straight sets of 28 minutes with a respectable margin of 21-18 and 21-18.
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