Joao Souza duels past Axel Michon in 1st round – Ciudad de Guayaquil Challenger 2011
Second seeded Brazilian Joao Souza battled past Frenchman Axel Michon in the first round of the Ciudad de Guayaquil Challenger 2011.
On Tuesday the 22nd of November 2011 the two players locked into a face off against each other on outdoor clay courts of the Guayaquil Tennis Club in Guayaquil, Ecuador. After two hours and thirty six minutes second seeded Brazilian whipped the Frenchman by surviving a mid match slip to score a 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4.
After winning the toss Michon opted to serve first and he easily bagged his first service game to open the scoreboard at 1-0. Following behind was Souza and he too held his respective serve to place himself beside his opposition on the scoreboard at 1-1.
It was in the third game that Souza broke his adversary and then with a hold of serve in the fourth game, he reeled of two consecutive games to take a mini lead on the scoreboard. He further took a notch higher by repeating the feat and extended his lead to 5-1 but he was unable to close the set immediately in the next game.
Nevertheless, as they two players once more bagged a service game each, Souza bagged the opening game to go one up in the match with a 6-2 victory.
Both the players took a notch higher in the second set and from the very beginning matched an eye for an eye. The neck on neck run carried well into the set and the score progressed on even terms. The score kept balancing out and ultimately the set was pushed into a tiebreaker at the end of the twelfth game.
The head-to-head series advanced into the tiebreaker as well and both the players started a new cat and mouse chase. As the players matched a blow for a blow the score tied for the last time at six points each. However, from there onwards, the Frenchman took out his A-game and squared two successive games to clinch the tiebreaker at 8-6.
At the end of the first two sets each player had bagged a set each and opening the third round of the match was Souza. Amidst the determining set, the players once again got into a goose chase for the first six games and each player had bagged three games to tie the score.
It was in the seventh game that Souza held his serve and with the pressure building, Michon ultimately double faulted in the eighth game, while, the Brazilian took the lead. However, Souza nosedived immediately in the next game but was quick to get back on the winning track as he broke his adversary for the last time to seal his victory of the match.
Up next for the second seed is Portuguese qualifier Pedro Sousa in the second round of the event.
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