Michael Yani downs Tatsuma Ito in the second round – Shanghai Challenger 2012
World number 228 from USA, Michael Yani, produced the biggest upset of the event so far by stunning the second seed, Tatsuma Ito of Japan, in three sets 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the second round of the Shanghai Challenger on Thursday.
The American player took an hour and 52 minutes to clinch victory in a tough contest.
Yani and Ito made a steady start to the contest, as they held their serve in the first nine games to take the score to 5-4 in favour of the former. The American hit a blow to his Japanese opponent at that moment to close it 6-4.
The North Carolina, USA resident bombarded seven aces on his opponent and put in 72 percent of the first serve, pocketing 20 of the 28 points on them in the first set. In comparison, Ito hit just a couple of aces and made a single
double fault. The Japanese player failed to save the only break point he faced and could not convert all the four he received.
Yani and Ito started the second set by holding their serve in the first two games and evening out the score at 1-1. The Japanese contender grabbed a breakthrough in the third and consolidated on it to grab a 3-1 lead. Ito struck
again in the seventh and capitalised on the double break to close it 6-2.
The Japanese participant banged in four aces and did not make any double fault in the second set, keeping his first serve percentage at 64 and securing 12 of the 14 points on them. The 24-year-old did not give any break opportunity
to his rival and utilised two of the five of his own.
Ito and Yani did not lose their serve in the first three games of the decider, taking the score to 2-1 in favour of the American. Yani nailed a break in the fourth and won his following serve to race to a 4-1 advantage. The American
contestant maintained his lead till the end to triumph 6-3.
Yani fired three aces and committed two double faults in the final set. The 6ft 1in tall hit 70 percent of the first deliveries, claiming 18 of the 23 points on them. The 31-year-old lost 11 of the 13 points on the first returns
but compensated that by winning five of the nine second ones.
The American contender is drawn to meet James Ward of Great Britain in the quarter-finals.
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