Taro Daniel blasts past Andrea Arnaboldi into the last four – KEIO Challenger 2012
In a match between two unseeded participants, Japan’s Taro Daniel dismissed Andrea Arnaboldi of Italy in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the KEIO Challenger. This event is being held on the hard courts in Yokohama,
Japan.
There was no break of serve in the first five games, taking the score to 3-2 in favour of Daniel. However, Arnaboldi failed to hold in the sixth and eight, going down 2-6.
Ranked 321st in the world, Daniel neither hit any ace nor committed any double fault in the first set. The Japanese contender had an average first serve percentage of 60 but amazingly managed to convert 11 of the 12
of them into points. On the other hand, Arnaboldi had a better first delivery percentage of 70 but he could win just five of the 14 points on them. The Italian contestant failed to create any break opportunity and was unable to put away the two threats he
came across in the opener.
Second set was slightly more competitive as compared to the first one, as Daniel and Arnaboldi held their serve in the first seven games to take the score to 4-3 in the former’s favour. The Japanese player struck in the eighth
one to attain a 5-3 lead. Daniel faced stiff resistance in serving out the contest but he was successful in the end, saving seven break threats in a 20-point marathon game to capture it 6-3.
Daniel once again could not hit any ace and this time he made one double fault. The 19-year-old’s first serve percentage went up to 66 but he managed to clinch just 20 of the 31 points on them. However, the Japanese national did
a decent job on the second deliveries and returns, securing nine of the 16 and six of the 11 points on them respectively. Daniel stood strong in pressure moments, as he saved all the nine break points he faced and converted one of the four he received in the
second set.
The local player is pitted against the fourth seed, Matteo Viola of Italy, in the semi-finals.
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