Mikhail Youzhny hops over Marin Cilic into the semis – German Tennis Championships 2011
Friday saw another big match of the German Tennis Championship 2011 when the two towers like structures, Mikhail Youzhny from Russia and Marin Cilic from Croatia, played a mind blowing quarter-final match. The fixture was played
at the Rothenbaum Tennis Court in Hamburg, Germany. The clay circuit was well watered up for the two tennis stars as they walked into the court and to be applauded by their supporter.
The match was nothing like an upset. The two right handed players seemed like two giants running after a small Ping pong ball, the one which caught it sooner than the other wins. Other than that Mikhail has been able to win the
previous matches against the young 22-year-old just because he has a bigger pool of experience and understands the circuit better. However, world No.32, Cilic gave a tough time as the Russian could not jump over the 6’6” without any help.
The match was as intense as Marin Cilic’s height! It started off with Mikhail serving first to open the first set of the match and taking the lead 1-0. Cilic first levelled the score here at 1-1 and then again at 2-2 before Mikhail
lost a breakpoint in game 5 to change the score card to 2-3. The young Croat blistered the 29-year-old in the next 3 out of 5 games to win the set 6-4 and the match 1-0.
As the Russian Kalashnikov got automated, Youzhny started firing tennis balls with the speed of a bullet. Serving in the first game of the second set, the No.4 seed won the first set to only to be followed and levelled by the Croat
youngster 1-1. Youzhny made his mark when he won 3 out of the next 4 games to change the scores to 4-2 that included two breakpoints. Cilic only cut one game lead and finally lost the 2nd set 3-6.
As the score were now level the match got electrifying in the decider as both players battled it out till the there came a tiebreaker. The set started off as Cilic gave away a breakpoint to the Russian bazooka and lost the one
following that. With 2-0 lead Youzhny got comfortable. However, the Croat Tennis sensation regained a commanding position as he levelled the score after game 6 of the set to 3-3 winning a worthy breakpoint. The scores then steadily changed as both players
won on their serve one after the other, to lead on to a tiebreaker.
With head turning from right to left with every shot, the match electrocuted the commentators as they did not have a clue that who was winning. Out of nowhere, Youzhny, who seemed to be losing the game, out ran the mighty Croat
to take away the set win 7-6(6) and finally the match 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6).
The Croat did all he could to save his semi-final seat but destiny had written Youzhny or might be, the Grizzly bear, on it. Other than that, statistically Youzhny won only by 4 points totalling 112 against 108 of Cilic.
Mikhail now sits at the semi’s seat to play Frenchman, Gilles Simon.
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