Tatsuma Ito outlasts John Peers in the opening round – Tallahassee Tennis Challenger 2012
Fourth seed, Tatsuma Ito, rallied past the Australian qualifier, John Peers, in a three set thriller at the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger 2012 on Monday. He formulated a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory against the world number 537 to book a spot in the second round
at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour event held in Tallahassee, Florida.
The Japanese rising star displayed exceptional skills to outmuscle Peers in two hours and 24 minutes. After pocketing this match, Ito confidently advanced into the round of 16 at this hard court event.
Ito high-spiritedly entered the Forestmeadows Tennis Complex and held his opening serve to level the scores at 1-1. He drew the first blood in the third game and put his nose ahead for the first time in the set. Despite losing his edge in the very next game,
the Japanese capitalised on another break chance in the ninth game to clinch the opener with a 6-4 score line.
The 23-year-old Aussie went berserk in the second set and blasted massive forehands to wind up the opening five games in a row before Ito could hold on. He then kept his serve once more and pulled out the equaliser with a breadstick. Peers warded off all
three breakpoints he faced and converted two out of three break opportunities.
Ranked 89th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Ito found his rhythm again in the final set. The Japanese brushed off all five breakpoints he encountered to keep his entire serves and got the breakthrough in the last game to
seal the decider by winning seven games to five.
Next up for the seed is the conqueror of an all-American match of Blake Strode and Brian Baker.
British rising star, Jamie Baker, will join the Japanese in the second round. He overpowered Tennys Sandgren in a see-saw match in almost two hours. The Brit saved half of the six breakpoints he came across but capitalised on four out of 14 break chances
to earn the glory. He clobbered a slightly lower first serve share but brilliantly clicked 22 out of 33 points on it.
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