India's star pugilist Vijender Singh bowed out of the London Games on Monday night after losing 13-17 to Uzbekistan's Abbos Atoev in the quarter-finals of the middleweight category, at the Excel Arena.
The Beijing Games' bronze medallist wasn't really impressive during his last eight bout against an opponent he had beaten 7-0 in the Asian Games' final at Guangzhou two years back.
A defensive boxer by nature, Vijender stayed in his shell a tad too long, giving Atoev a chance to make inroads, which proved to be decisive in the end.
Atoev's left-right hook combination fetched him more points than the Indian's right hooks that occasionally landed on spot.
In the first round, it was an even contest as both boxers were locked at 3-3 at the bell.
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However, in the second, Atov rattled Vijender with lethal left hooks to take the round 7-5.
The two-point cushion proved good enough and the winner started the third round with a bang, his right hook landing flush on Vijender's face. That helped him consolidate his lead.
The Uzbek boxer held on to it and scored another seven points in the third round to clinch the issue with a 17-13 scoreline, ensuring himself at least a bronze medal.
Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP
