Michael Russell blue rains on Steve Johnson in 2nd round – Knoxville Challenger 2011
Top seeded American Michael Russell surmounted unseeded compatriot Steve Johnson in the second round of the Knoxville Challenger 2011.
At the University of Tennessee’s Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, the two challengers clashed against each other on indoor hard courts. It took the top seeded American only one hour and thirty eight minutes
to get rid of the unseeded compatriot in straight sets of 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday the 10th of November 2011.
The first round of the match was inaugurated by Russell after he had won the service toss and he quickly eased himself on the scoreboard at 1-0. Following in his footsteps was his adversary, who too held his service game and placed
himself at 1-1 on the scoreboard. In the subsequent games, the two matched a blow for a blow and the score kept tied for the following four games.
By the end of the eighth game the score had tied at four games each, however, during the ninth game Russell held his serve and was now only a game away from victory. As Johnson served, he double faulted on his second serve in the
tenth game and gifted the opening set to Russell, who was now one up in the match.
The second set of the match was commenced by Russell again and he smashed a few backhand winners to quickly open the scoreboard at 1-0. At his heels was Johnson and he too held is serve to place himself beside his opponent at 1-1.
During the third and the fourth game Russell took the lead as he held his serve and then capitalized on a breakpoint.
Subsequently, in the next four games the players once more bagged two service games each and the score had shifted to 5-3 with Russell leading the set. However, Russell was unable to close the set in the following two games and
he eventually ended up double faulting on his serve in the ninth game which allowed Johnson to reduce the deficit to 4-5. With a hold of serve from Johnson, the score was brought to tie at five games each at the end of the tenth game.
Nonetheless, it was Russell’s lucky day as he struck a pot of gold. He first held his serve in the eleventh game and then in the twelfth Johnson’s forehand went wayward and he erred. Mean while, the top seeded American not only
clogged the set with a 7-5 victory but also sealed his victory of the set and the match.
The top seeded American will now be facing British Jamie Baker in the quarterfinal of the event.
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