Enigmatic Russians Again Serve Up Surprise
Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov have always been an enigma.
· DEV SUKUMAR
On their day, the Russians are capable of beating the best pairs of their time; yet, their performances have unpredictability built into them. This has become particularly noticeable over the last couple of years as they struggled to get past even the opening rounds of Super 500 tournaments.
Consider their performances since the Sudirman Cup last May – an event at which they walloped Asian champions Hiroyuki Endo/Yuta Watanabe in straight games in the Russia-Japan tie. After semifinals at the European Games and the Russian Open, the Russians fell in six straight first rounds. The months since saw a welcome title at the Dutch Open, a semifinal in Dubai, and quarterfinals at the Italian International and Syed Modi Championships sandwiched between six early exits. Not exactly what fans would expect of a pair that continues to trouble the world’s best.
But the Russians again served up a surprise at the YONEX All England earlier this month. The tough Chinese pair Han Cheng Kai/Zhou Hao Dong were beaten in straight games, followed by Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda in a tight finish.