Gold Coast (Australia): Star Indian boxer Vikas Krishan entered the quarter-finals of the men's middleweight (75 kilogram) category with a hard-fought victory over Campbell Somerville of Australia at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Sunday.

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Vikas dominated the opening round before the Australian tried to make a strong comeback in the next two. The Indian however, did well to effectively counter his opponent and clinch a unanimous 5-0 verdict.

The comfortable final scoreline is misleading as Vikas had to fight off a strong challenge from the 26-year-old Australian.

Vikas was clearly the more powerful puncher and rattled the Australian throughout the opening round with strong blows. The World Championships bronze medallist penetrated the Australian` defence on several occasions and also shook him with power-packed punches to the body. 

Somerville did better in the second round, increasing the pace and using his superior height to force Vikas on to the back foot on several occasions. The third round followed a similar script with a visibly tiring Vikas struggling to beat his opponent`s defence even as he sustained quite a few blows to his face and body.

The closing stages of the contest saw both boxers go all out, raining punches in an effort to force the advantage. It was a tight affair for Vikas and the favourable decision from the referees after the bout must have come as a relief for him.