Mischa Zverev outlast Tennys Sandgren in the quarter-finals – Sacramento Challenger 2012 CH
World number 168, Mischa Zverev, got the better of his American junior, Tennys Sandgren, and consolidated his straight sets victory at the RelyAid Natomas Challenger 2012 held at courts of California, United States. He bagged away
his 6-2, 6-4 win against his rival on the eve of Friday.
Both players commenced a sloppy start in the opener, as they were unable to clinch their initial serves. The German confidently drew the first blood in the game and stamped his lead by breaking his rival’s serve in the third and
the fifth game respectively. The American was unable to match his rival’s pace and could not secure the two games. Zverev successfully cashed in all the games without facing even a single break. Eventually, he tumbled a 6-2 score in front of his challenger.
The right-hander American professional displayed a shockingly lower initial serve of 37 percent, pocketing away just six of 11 first and seven of 19 second delivery points. In response to that, the higher ranked German contender
secured a relatively better initial serve of 63 percent, converting 11 of 15 first and four of nine of second delivery points. He marked three of four break points, which eventually served to his advantage.
In the second set, 21-year-old American started to pick the lead and engraved a 2-1 score line by the end of the third game. However, his momentum suddenly dropped down when the German challenger broke his serve in the fifth game
and stamped his 3-2 lead. The left-hander German preserved his remaining serves with poise and snapped down the second set with a 6-4 win.
Ranked 278th in the ATP World Tour Rankings, Sandgren, attained 52 percent initial serve and his rival received just 75 percent. He managed to secure just 11 of 16 first and eight of 15 second delivery points. Zverev
took the lead by stealing 17 of 21 first and four of seven serve points.
For the semi-finals, the German professional will face a tough competition against the top seeded compatriot, Benjamin Becker. The German contender gave a straight sets loss to the fifth seeded, Matteo Viola, in the previous round.
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