Viktor Troicki moves past fifth seed Alex Bogomolov Jr into last four – Kremlin Cup 2011
Second seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki thrashed fifth seeded American Alex Bogomolov Junior in the quarterfinal of the Kremlin Cup 2011. The two challengers took up the swords on indoor hard courts of the Olympic Stadium in Moscow,
Russia. After three hours and thirty eight minutes the second seeded Russian survived a mid match fall of 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-6(1) on Friday the 21st of October 2011.
Kicking off the first round of the match was Troicki, who had won the service pitch and both the challengers traded breaks in the first two games to place themselves at 1-1 on the scoreboard. From there on wards the players matched
a blow for a blow and the score progressed on event terms; first at 2-2, then 3-3, and 4-4 at the end of the eighth game as the players kept bagging a game on their respective service games.
During the ninth and the tenth game each player bagged a game on alternate serves and the scoreboard once more tied at 5-5. Eventually the set was pushed into a tie breaker by the end of the twelfth game at 6-6 on t he scoreboard,
as the two once again held serve.
The toe-to-toe run carried well into the tiebreaker as the competitors kept the score tied at 1-1, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5 and eventually at 6-6. However, from there onwards Troicki shifted to top gear and clinched the tiebreaker at 7-6
to bag the opening game and was now one up in the match.
The second set of the match was initiated by Bogomolov and both the players held their respective serves to rotate the scoreboard at 1-1 by the end of the first two games. It was in the third game that the American had double faulted
on his serve and he endorsed a breakpoint to his adversary. Mean while, Troicki took the lead as he capitalized on a break and then held his serve to take a mini lead of 3-1 by the end of the fourth game.
However, Bogomolov brought the score to a tie by closing in on the deficit at 3-3 by the end of the sixth game as he not only held his serve but also capitalized from a break point. From there onward the players once more matched
an eye for an eye and the score levelled at 4-4, and then 5-5 by the end of the tenth game. The set was pushed into a tiebreaker for the second time at 6-6 by the end of the twelfth game.
During the tiebreaker the players battled a few deuces; however, the steam was lost when Bogomolov rushed past his adversary to clinch the tiebreaker at 7-1. He bagged the set and by the end of the second set each player had bagged
a set each.
The decisive set was initiated by Troicki and he got off to an appalling start as he was unable to bag his first game. On the contrary, Bogomolov not only capitalized from an early break in the first game but also in the third
and reeled of straight four games against the second seeded Serbian by the end of the fourth game.
It was in the fifth game that Troicki made a return by holding his serve and he then reeled off three more games while breaking his opponent twice to tie the score at 4-4 by the end of the eighth game. In the following four games
the players continuously won their respective service games and eventually the scoreboard was pushed into a tiebreaker at 6-6 by the end of the twelfth game.
With a series of breaks and holds Troicki ran past his adversary to clinch the tie breaker at 7-1 and not only bagged the set but also the match.
He was able to reserve a spot in the semi-final of the event.
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