Steve Johnson battles past
Chris Guccione in 1st round – Knoxville Challenger 2011
American qualifier Steve Johnson required three sets to get rid of Australian Chris Guccione in the first round of the Knoxville Challenger 2011.
On the 9th of November 2011, the two encountered each other on indoor hard courts of the University of Tennessee’s Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. After one hour and fifty five minutes American
qualifier Johnson thrashed the unseeded Australian by bouncing back from a set down to score 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.
Commencing the first set was Johnson and both the challengers had bagged a game each to ease themselves on the scoreboard at 1-1. From there onwards the players matched an eye for an eye and the score kept tied at 2-2, 3-3, 4-4,
5-5 and finally at six games each which pushed the set into a tiebreaker.
During the tiebreaker, Guccione took the lead and with a series of breaks and holds managed to breeze past his adversary to bag the tiebreaker at 7-4.
The second set was inaugurated by Guccione and this time he was unable to hold his service game, mean while, Johnson had squandered off two games to take the mini lead of 2-0 on the scoreboard. From there on wards, the players
once more matched a blow for a blow for the following four games and the score had shifted to 4-2 with Johnson leading the game.
During the seventh and the eighth game the two once more bagged a game each but Johnson was still leading the game and the score had shifted to 5-3. Johnson was now only a game away from victory but he was unable to close the game
in the ninth game. However, as he held his serve for the last time, he clogged the opening set in the tenth game by restricting his opponent to only four games.
Each player had bagged a set apiece at the end of the second set. Amidst the third set, both the players got off to a good start as each had bagged their respective service games. The toe-to-toe run carried on well into the decisive
set and each player matched a blow for a blow.
As the two once more held their respective serves for the following eight games the score had tied at five games each. At this point the match could’ve tilted either way but it was a lucky breakpoint that Johnson capitalized on
in the eleventh game and in the twelfth, he held his serve to seal his victory of the set and the match.
Johnson was able to reserve a spot in the second round of the event where he will be facing top seeded compatriot Michael Russell.
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