Well it’s the morning after the night before and as most of you will probably know by now I beat Stanilslav Pukhov from Russia in three sets in last nights third round. After playing and winning my second round match earlier in the day I was feeling in good form and I knew I had the game to counteract my opponent.
It was a fierce battle and the opening set was a cagey affair. We were level at 6-6- but he got a run of 5 points and before I knew it I was 13-7 behind. I fought hard and contested every single point and pulled myself back into the match. I got closer and closer and eventually levelled the set at 17-17 and again at 19-19. He took the next two points to take the opening set and I was left with an uphill battle.
The second set was a played at a frantic pace with one player gaining the upper hand then the other. At 4-4 he rattled off 5 points to go 9-4 up and again 11-6. This was do or die for me at this stage as midway through the second set I was 5 points behind and already 1 set down. I just told myself is this the way you want to go out….Not on your life matey!!! I dug so deep, I thought of all the work Lauge and I have been putting in and told myself this is not the end. I then won 6 points without reply to take 12-11 lead and I was back in the game. He then went into an 18-15 lead and once again I had to re focus and call on all my inner strength. I rattled off 5 points to take a 20-18 lead and won the second 21-19 and I was now back in the match.
The third set was a hot headed affair and at 10-10 the match could have swung either way. At 13-10 there was an on court incident where I attacked a shuttle and unfortunately his head was in the way and the shuttle must have hurt as he started to use several four letter words over the net to me. The umpire had to interject and issue a yellow card to my Russian opponent. This proved to be a watershed in the match as I only grew in confidence and his seemed to be shattered at that point. I took complete control and ran out an easy 21-12 winner in the third.
All in all it was a very satisfying result. That’s three good wins on the trot now and a quarter final against the best player in Europe Kenneth Jonassen this afternoon. I will just go out there and give it my absolute best and who knows what may happen.
All the best
Scott
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