Oswald/Pavic overpower Arnaboldi/Viola to lift title – Dunlop World Challenge 2012 Ch
Austrian-Croatian duo, Philipp Oswald and Mate Pavic, rallied past the Italian junction, Andrea Arnaboldi and Matteo Viola, in a three-set thriller at the Dunlop World Challenge 2012 on Saturday. They summed up a 6-3, 3-6, 10-2 victory against their rivals to capture the crown at this indoor carpet event taking place in Aichi, Japan.
Seeded fourth in this event, Oswald and Pavic lost their path in the second set at the Sky Hall Toyota. However, they unleashed their true colours again and eventually carved out the victory. They required one hour and 13 minutes grabbing the title and pocketing the prize money.
Oswald and Pavic made a strong entry at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour event. They drew the first blood in the fourth game and jumped to a 4-1 lead. The Austrian-Croatian tandem then held their composure and bagged remaining serves, eventually sealing the set by winning six games to three. They blocked the only breakpoint they came across and converted one out of three break chances to their advantage.
The in-form Italian duo on the other hand re-focused their strategy in the following set. They got the coveted break in the second game and jumped to a 2-0 lead. Despite losing their edge in the very next game, Arnaboldi and Viola remained focused and held their remaining serves. They got the breakthrough in the eighth game and clinched the equaliser with a 6-3 score line. The Italians dusted away two out of three breakpoints they faced and cashed both break chances to get back in contention.
The match could have gone in any direction but the seeds found their early momentum and ascendancy. They went on a five-point killing spree before pocketing the decider with a 10-2 victory.
All in all, the Austrian-Croatian duo hammered seven aces and ended the match with 59 points. They also clobbered a lower first serve share of 63 per cent as compared to their rivals’ 68 per cent but impressively marked 29 out of 34 points on it. Oswald and Pavic spilled more double faults but sought more break chances to dominate in this battle.
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