Toshihide Matsui brushes past Tyler Hochwalt in final qualifying round – Van Open 2011 CH
Toshihide Matsui of Japan gave a near-perfect demonstration of why he is the most favourite to enter the main draw at Odlum Brown Van Open as he crushed Tyler Hochwalt 6-3, 6-3 in the final round of tournament, being played here
at the Vancouver, Canada.
He took just 68 minutes to see off the American, who was unable to reach the heights of his second-round display of the qualifying round.
There was no clue that such a one-sided contest would unfold when the pair had already taken the score to 3-all, but it was all one way traffic after Matsui broke in the decisive game when Hochwalt sent a forehand long.
It was the perfect opening that Matsui needed and, after cementing a break with a hold of love, he took his opponent’s serve again to move 5-3, coming back from 40-0 down when Hochwalt cannoned a forehand well wide of the court,
allowing Matsui to grab the early advantage.
The procession continued into the second set, with Matsui holding and then breaking again, although he needed to save hundred percent of his break point opportunities to do so.
Hochwalt clung on to save his third break point opportunity of the day but, when Matsui found his range on the fourth, a forehand winner left Hochwalt rooted to the spot.
With Matsui looking as though he may not lose another game, Hochwalt finally broke up and, when Matsui sent a forehand long, she broke back to hold up the inevitable.
But with Hochwalt winning a meagre 50 percent behind his second serve, he was instantly broken again as his mighty opponent saved hundred percent break points with a lovely backhand winner down the line.
A simple hold followed before he broke Hochwalt to love, his two-handed backhand working perfectly as he plundered winners after winners and although a break point had to be saved in the ensuing game, he did so with ease and cruised
through to the first round of the Vancouver Open 2011.
Matsui got an entry pass into the main draw by scoring 73 percent on service, 39 percent on return and a total of 59 of 106 during the match.
Matsui next plays Aussie Carsten Ball in the first round of the main draw later in the event.
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