Steve Darcis overpowers Maxime Authom in 2nd round – Mons Challenger 2011
With the second round of the Mons Challenger 2011 boiling up, Steve Darcis, Belgian world No.89, went of scrambling compatriot Maxime Authom, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-2, in a long 2 hour and 19 minutes winner. Playing on Hard Court at Greenset
Grand Prix Stadium, the two clashed in a hard hitting 3 setter match ending up with the higher ranked Belgian making it to the quarter-finals.
With the two walking down the circuit, Authom went on serving out the first game of the match, nearly losing a breakpoint, and taking the lead, 1-0. Levelling up next the higher ranked Belgian pulled off a game before he broke
his compatriot and served out again to lead the set, 3-1.
Rallying out 2 out of the next three games, Authom levelled up for the second time at 4-4, when he broke the world No.89 in game 8 and served out game 9 to take the lead 5-4. Darcis, however, levelled up instantly serving out game
10.
Eventually the set went into a tiebreaker with Authom to serve first. Halting the world No.244 at 7-4, Darcis went on winning the first set, 7-6(4) and led the match 1-0.
Moving on to set 2, Darcis served out with 3 game point wins to capture the first point, 1-0. Levelling up next, the 24-year-old went on ragging the world No.89 as he broke-served-broke to extend his lead to 4-1. Extending his
lead further, Authom bagged game 6 as well and held a strong lead, 5-1.
Darcis, hoping to pull back a winner, served game 7, 2-5, broke the lower ranked player in game 8, 3-5, and served out again, game 9, to cut the lead to 4-5. However, the world No.89 could not break again to level up the scores.
Serving for the game, Authom mustered away with a win and levelled up the match scores at 1-1 winning the set 6-4.
Flaring up the decider, Darcis almost lost the first serve and led the final set, 1-0. Levelling up next, the 24-year-old Belgian saved another breakpoint rolling down his first win of the decider set, 1-1. Rallying out a game
each the two stood equal again at 2-2 before the 27-year-old went for the kill.
Serving out game 5, Darcis broke the young compatriot following up with a service win next to lead up to 5-2. With one more set remaining to run away win a win, the world No.89 broke again and finished up the set, 6-2, and the
match, 2-1, in style to walk off into the quarter-final round.
Making it through to the next stage of the ATP Challenger Tour event, Darcis will play world No.48, Andreas Seppi, seeded second in the event, to battle it out for the semis seat.
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