Alfred Vs. Dr. Barreau
This match got underway under a cloudless beautiful sky. Alfred "Fred Flintstone" Aung took on Dr. Jose " The Undertaker" Barreau in the opening game of Group B action. This was a crucial clash for both. Alfred has to win this game to make life easy for himself in a very competitive group, a defeat would leave his hopes hanging by a thread. Dr. Barreau on the other hand was making his tournament debut but had been spotted in sunny Florida polishing his groundstrokes and ferocious backhands. Although unseeded, many believe he will win it all come May. Alfred after his stunning 3rd place finish in last years tournament, is also gunning for all out glory. It promised to be a heavy weight clash.
The stands were packed to the rafters as the crowds hackled for the premium seats. There was a cacophony of noise as both players made their way onto the court. In a pre-match interview, Alfred spoke about his power game and how he planned to surprise Barreau with his array of shots. Barreau on the other hand was just happy to make his debut and was typically modest about his chances. He was also looking to make up for his friend Dr. Callirgos shock early exit from the tournament.
As the match started, it quickly became clear that Alfred was struggling to adapt to his opponents game. The crowd was quickly on its feet as Barreaus plethora of deadly net play and baseline returns forced Alfred firmly on the backfoot. And unfortunately for him, he never recovered from it. Sweat was trickling down his brow and I am sure, dread down his spine as e was faced with the reality of near certain defeat. But the question remained, by how much. Clearly, Barreau was in no mood for mercy and tore Alfreds game apart. Superiority firmly established, he easily claimed the first set 6-0.
The second set was a similar story as Alfred never found his rhythm while Barreau was on song throughout. By this time, all the flags were waving for Barreau as he raced into a commanding 4-0 lead in the second set. Alfred was trying to salvage a single game. Quite a surprising result as Barreau closed the second set also by a 6-0 margin and won the clash 6-0 6-0.
This crushing win has set up Barreau as the firm favorite to win the tournament. No one had anticipated the dismantling of Alfred in such a manner . This sends out a very clear message to the other group players that Barreau is definitely here to stay at the top.
Alfred on the other hand is in dire straits already. He has 2 games left and has to win both to progress to the semifinals. In his own words, he has to beat Mudassir to be able to qualify and get a second shot at Barreau if he reaches the final.
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