Toshihide Matsui stuns Rajeev Ram in opening round – Dunlop World Challenger 2012 Ch
Local qualifier, Toshihide Matsui, stunned second seed, Rajeev Ram, in straight sets at the Dunlop World Challenger 2012 on Tuesday. He jolted down a 6-4, 6-3 victory against the world number 134 to power into the second round at this ATP (Association of
Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour event taking place in Aichi, Japan.
The underdog brought his experience into handy to outclass Ram in their first encounter. After stealing the spotlight in one hour and 36 minutes, Matsui comfortably progressed into the second round at this indoor carpet event taking place from 19th
to 25th November.
Matsui made a strong entry at the Sky Hall Toyota. He drew the first blood in the second game and jumped to a 3-0 lead. Apart from losing his edge in the fifth game, the local challenger held his composure and swiped his remaining serves with poise. He got
the breakthrough in the last game and clicked the opener by winning six games to four. Matsui showed brilliant defensive skills as he brushed off five out of six breakpoints he came across. He cashed two out of five break chances and moved a step closer towards
his goal.
Ranked 477th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Matsui maintained his intensity in the following set. He got the critical break in the second game and cruised to a 3-0 lead. The Japanese then bagged his remaining serves with
poise and clinched the set with a 6-3 score line. He dusted away all three breakpoints he came across and converted one out of two break chances to his advantage.
The Osaka native withstood 10 aces and manifested a higher first serve share of 69 per cent as compared to his rival’s 53 per cent. He also amazingly marked 38 out of 57 points on it and ended the match with 74 points.
Next up for the 34-year-old is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Mirza Basic in the round of 16. He bounced back to formulate a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(8) victory against the local wild card entrant, Takao Suzuki. He lost his serve once but cashed one out of three break chances
to steal the spotlight.
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