Konstantin Kravchuk overwhelms Mikhail Ledovskikh in final qualifier – Kremlin Cup 2011
Konstantin Kravchuk, Russian world No. 165, made it through into the main draws of the Kremlin Cup 2011 on Monday, 17th October, defeating compatriot, Mikhail Ledovskikh in the final qualifier hard indoor match. The
two battled out for almost two hours on the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia before the higher ranked Russian outshined 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5.
Starting of first, Ledovskikh served out the first game of the match and opened up the scoreboard, 1-0. Following with his first serve of the match, Kravchuk levelled up, 1-1, and stood to return again. With the two rallying down
winner on respective serves, the two levelled up at 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and then at 5-5.
Winning one game each again, the two entered a tiebreaker with the Kazakhstani serving first. Levelling up on the first 8 points, 4-4, Ledovskikh won the next 3 points to win the tiebreaker, 7-5, and the set, 7-6(4).
Continuing with set 2, Russian world No. 165, served out the first game of the set, 1-1, followed up a winner by his counterpart, levelling the scores at 1-1. Kravchuk served-n-broke the world No.289, 3-1, and followed up winning
game 5, to lead the set, 4-1.
With just two more wins to level up the set scores, the 26-year-old continued to thrash the Kazakh, broke-n-served, finishing off with the second set, 6-1, and moved on to the final set.
Kicking off the decider, Ledovshkikh served out a double game point winner to open up the set, 1-0. Levelling up instantly, Russian took away game 2 with a triple game point win, 1-1, and switched back the serve. Winning games
on respective serves, the two levelled up at 2-2 and then at 3-3 before the set intensified.
Breaking each other again, the two levelled up at 4-4 with Ledovskikh serving next. Equally matched, both players bagged a win each again before Kravchuk struck for the last time. Breaking the Kazakh in game 11, the 26-year-old
blistered another breakpoint to lead the set 6-5, and went on to serve for the match.
Kravchuk, with a remarkable performance, won the final set of the main draw qualifier fixture with a triple game point win, 7-5, and took away the match with a super comeback.
Through into the main draw, the 26-year-old needs to keep up his form as he now faces the top players from all around the world in the ATP World Tour 250 event.
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