I think you have to play as aggressive as possible. Don't hack away or combo unless it's still in the middle of an animation and you're not in the way. I used one molotov to help me out a little, so use those if you feel like it. Don't dodge backwards so much, it'll catch up with you, so dodging sideways is best. Dodge more than once just to distance yourself from it, since it follows with lots of combos.