Rajeev Ram defeats Roman Borvanov in 1st round – L, G & T Tennis Challenger 2011
American tennis pro Rajeev Ram battled past compatriot Roman Borvanov of 7-6 (5), 6-4 in a thrilling encounter on Tuesday to advance into the second round of 2011 Levene, Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger tournament here in
Binghamton, New York.
Ram made a slow start to the contest as he struggled to get any timing on his shots early on. However as the match progressed, he started to execute his big forehand and backhand winners a lot better. Showing no signs of nerves,
the American displayed great temperament and fighting abilities to overcome a difficult opponent in a match that lasted for more than 2 hour and 32 minutes on the hard courts of Binghamton.
Looking for a place in second round of, Ram looked to establish control over the contest right from the start. Every now and then, he tried those clever drop shots to bamboozle the challenger. Holding on to his serve games in a
competitive match, the 27-year-old managed to take the opening set into a tie-breaker.
Borvanov also lifted his spirits as he displayed some high quality tennis in the tie-breaker. After both players inflicted heavy blows on each other, the match entered a very exciting phase. Trailing 3-5 in the tie-breaker, Ram
claimed three straight points to set up two set points for himself. He then converted the first one to earn a deserving 1-0 set score lead.
The second set also followed similar trends as both players had trouble finding a way to break one another. Ram had no trouble holding on to his first three serve games as he evened the game score 3-3. Converting the only break
chance of the match in eight game of the second set, Ram took a vital 5-3 lead, serving for the match. Hitting two blistering serves on his next service games, he ended the match in style. Ram was delighted with his effort and aimed to produce similar performances
in his upcoming matches as well.
Although the match lasted over two set, it was played on an extremely competitive note as both players struggled to break one another. Ram served brilliantly and he fired seven serve aces in the match. His serve was superiors and
he seemed to be equipped with a better range of shots. To Borvanov’ credit, he defended like a warrior saving eight out of nine break points in the match. However he failed to stop his opponent from clinching a deserving victory.
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