Mikhail Youzhny thrashes Denis Istomin to reach quarterfinals – Suisse Open Gstaad 2011
Top Russian Mikhail Youzhny, ranked 14th in the world, knocked out world number 80 Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16 at the Credit Agricole Suisse Open in Gstaad on Wednesday. It
took the Russian an hour and thirteen minutes to beat his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Youzhny came roaring into the match, breaking the Uzbek in the fourth game and winning his next service game to race to a 4-1 lead. The Russian did not allow Istomin to break back throughout the set and claimed it 6-3.
The former world number 8 delivered 57 percent of the first serves but was unable to hit any ace in the first set. The Russian bagged 75 percent of the first service points and the same percentage of second service points. On the
other hand, Istomin kept his first serve percentage at 63 percent and fired four aces in the opening set. The Uzbek sealed 55 percent of the points on the first serve and 58 percent of the points on the second serve in the first set.
Youzhny carried the winning momentum into the second set and broke his opponent in the third and fifth game, blazing forward to a 4-1 lead. Istomin reduced the trail as he broke the Russian in the sixth game to take the score to
2-4 but the Uzbek was broken again in the very next game to go down 2-5. Youzhny served out the set in the next game, capturing it 6-2.
The Russian did not allow Istomin to dictate on the serve as he returned brilliantly, claiming an amazing 64 percent of the return points in the second set. The 29-year-old capitalised on three of the seven break point opportunities
he created and saved one of the two break points on his own serve in the second set.
Youzhny is featuring for the sixth time in Gstaad. The Russian was defeated by Gaston Gaudio of Argentina in straight sets 6-7(3), 4-6 in the second round in his debut appearance here in 2002. After losing the opening round in
2007, the right-handed gave his best performance a year later as he reached the last eight, losing to Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 3-6. In 2009, he was beaten by Jeremy Chardy of France in three thrilling sets 3-6, 7-5, 3-6 in the
round of 16. Youzhny went down at the hands of Yuri Schukin 4-6, 6-2, 5-7 in the quarterfinals last year.
The Russian will face either Santiago Giraldo of Colombia or Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer in the quarterfinals.
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