Marinko Matosevic storms over Ryan Sweeting in 1st round qualifiers – Rakuten Open 2011
Marinko Matosevic, world No.154, juggled his way into the 2nd round qualifiers of the Rakuten Open 2011 today Saturday, 1st October, outlasting the American world No.65 in the 1st round match in
just an hour winning 6-3, 6-2. Playing on hard court of Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, Matosevic bagged his 2nd head-to-head win against the higher ranked American.
Regardless the disparity in rankings, Matosevic had been successful over the American previously as well. Adding to the loss, Sweeting had been struggling as he lost most of his prior 10 matches. The Aussie, on the other hand,
had kept his records satisfactory.
Anyhow, the two started off with the fixture as Matosevic won the toss and opened up the fixture and the scoreboard winning game 1, 1-0. Breaking early, the Aussie took the lead bagging game 2 and serving out game 3 to lead 3 games
to zero.
Finally rolling down his part of the scoreboard, Sweeting managed his first win cutting the lead down to 1-3. However, that did not stop the Aussie world No.154 to nab away another game and extend his lead to 4-1. Unable to break
his rival, the American world No.65 lost the set 3-6, and moved on to level up in the next.
Serving out the first game of set 2, Sweeting took his charge to level the match scores. Serving out next, Matosevic levelled the scores and struck next. Crushing the American with superb backhand winner, Matosevic broke the 24-year-old
and followed with serving out the next game to lead 3-1.
Hoping to cut the lead down, Sweeting mustered away with game 5, 2-3, however could not break back at any point. The 26-year-old Aussie bagged another game before he blew all defences the American had put forward. Breaking Sweeting
in game 7, Matosevic was now left with just one serve to win the set and match, 5-2.
Serving out with a magnificent cross-court forehand, the 26-year-old dismantled the higher ranked American, world No.65, insulting him over his ranking and taking the walk into the 2nd stage qualifiers of the ATP Tour
500 event.
Maintaining his reputation for disrupting higher ranked players, Matosevic now moves to the second round of the qualifier stage to play Israeli, Dudi Sela, to qualify for the main draw of the Rakuten Open 2011.
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