Matthias Bachinger knocks out seeded Sergiy Stakhovsky in 1st round – Palermo Challenger 2011
German, Matthias Bachinger, went face to face with third seeded Ukrainian, Sergiy Stakhovsky in the 1st round of ATP Challenger Tournament on October 5thin Mons, Belgium. German currently holds the 88th spot
in the world rankings, 25 ranks below the Ukrainian third seed player.
It was an epic encounter between the two classics that lasted for an hour and twenty-two minutes. Both players fought their heart out before the German pulled up an upset by defeating the seeded player in straight sets with a final
score of 7-6(2) and 6-3.
The Ukrainian was very comfortable at the start of the match but the German picked up the tempo and leveled the first set with six games apiece to enter into a tie breaker. It was really fascinating to watch both players battling
it out for the place in the second round. The facts of the first set were neck to neck with Bachinger stealing the most crucial break point to wrap the first set on high note. The fatigue was clearly visible on both players but none was ready to give it up
at that stage.
Stakhovsky was left with no chance but to win the second set and tie the game with one set apiece to enter into a final decider. There is no doubt about Stakhovsky’s ability to turn the things around in his favor as he has done
this before but German proved a bit more mulish component that refused to provide any chance to balance the game. He stood firm and continued to maintain a stronghold of the match. German couldn’t stand to the firm resistance from Ukrainian and gave up in
the midst of the second set. Bachinger cruised his way in the second set and finished it off in a dashing style with commanding score of 6-3.
This match saw another seeded player making his way back to his hometown and the series of upsets continue with just six seeded players left in the tournament. A new wave has flown with new players making their way to the top 16
and seeded players getting knocked off at earlier stages.
Tags: