Jamie Baker battles past top seed Michael Russell in quarterfinal – Knoxville Challenger 2011
British Jamie Baker flummoxed top seeded American Michael Russell in the quarterfinal of the Knoxville Challenger 2011.
Both the players battled racquets against each other on indoor hard courts of the University of Tennessee’s Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA and it took Baker only two hours and nine minutes to oust the top
seeded American by recoiling from a set down to score a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Friday the 11th of November 2011.
Russell opted to serve first after he had clogged the service toss and both the players handled their respective serves expertly. They once more bagged a service game each and the score had tied at two games each by the end of
the fourth game. The players matched a blow for a blow and the score again tied at three games each at the end of the sixth game.
However, in the seventh game Russell held his serve and then capitalized from a breakpoint to take a mini lead of 5-3 at the end of the eighth game. He was now only a game away, and as he held his serve for the last time, he bagged
the opening set with a 6-3 victory to go one up in the match.
The second set was inaugurated by Baker and once more both the players had bagged their respective serves. In the third game Baker held his serve and then capitalized from a breakpoint to squander two straight games and take a
mini lead of 3-1 at the end of t he fourth game.
In the following three games Baker took on his A-game and utilized the serve-break-serve method to cut the goose chase. As he utilized the serve-break-serve method, he clogged the second set with breadstick victory and by restricting
his opponent to one game in the entire set!
At the end of the second set both the players had bagged a set each and opening the decisive set was once again Baker. This time the players matched a blow for a blow from the very start of the set and neither player wanted the
other to take the lead. Although both the players were locked into a fierce battle and matched an eye for an eye, Baker was still a better player.
Nonetheless, the score kept tied for the first eight games and each player had bagged four games each. However, in the ninth game Baker held his serve for the last time and prayed his adversary would err. Luckily his prayers were
answered and Russell’s forehand went wayward, gifting the set and the match to Baker.
The Briton secured a spot in the semi final of the event where he will be facing American Brian Baker.
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