Defending champion:
Petra Kvitová (2) who defeated Mihaela Buzărnescu (7) 4-6 6-2 6-3
- Bernarda Pera v Wang Qiang (3)
The players had met once before, this year in Indian Wells, where Qiang was successful in straight sets.
Pera, the American left hander, was ranked 105 coming into the tournament, so was clearly the outsider against China’s top ranked player.
Pera served first, and won the opening two points with natural hard hitting, a feature of both women. Errors off the American racquet enabled Qiang to reach break point. A Chinese backhand pulled wide saved that one, a Pera forehand winner saved a second break chance. Serve was held, an ace included.
The pair exchanged forehand winners before another one from Pera gave her break point. A strong return forced an error from Qiang and the break. Pera led 2-0.
A Pera backhand winner received a forehand winner from Qiang in response, but Pera seemed to have all the answers, and a forehand winner plus errors contributed by the third seed resulted in a consolidation of the break. 3-0. A rocketing backhand return winner from Pera began the next game and break point arrived following a forehand winner down the line. The break came when Qiang found the net with her backhand.
4-0 became 5-0 after Pera held serve, a forehand winner included. Serving to stop a complete wipeout, Qiang made mistakes and was down 15-30. A stunning forehand down the line produced two set points and one was saved with a backhand winner from Qiang. The second break point was not saved and Pera won a personally sensational set of tennis 6-0.
After opening set two with an easy service hold, Pera was unable to prevent her opponent from finally registering a score on the board. This, despite thrilling with another forehand winner. 1-1.
At 1-2, Pera hit a forehand winner, then Qiang a backhand winner in reply. Ultimately, though, it was trouble on serve for the third seed after an exquisite Pera drop shot produced a break point. An incredible Pera forehand, when seemingly on the back foot, confirmed the break, and 3-1 for the American.
Games then went to serve, including the eighth where Qiang needed to hold to stay in the match.
At 5-3, Pera went to the line to serve for a semi final spot. Qiang’s backhand forced an error, then an unforced Pera forehand error followed. Qiang passed the American with a brilliant forehand to bring up three break back points. Finally Pera hit the net with a forehand and was broken. She still led 5-4, just a game away from the win.
At 5-6, serving for a third time to stay alive, Qiang saw two forehand winners from Pera pass her by on the way to match point. Saved with a combination of brutal forehands. A second match point arrived, but left without damaging consequence for Qiang who bravely held on to force a tie break.
Pera took the initial lead 2-0, but was pegged back after a forehand error. 2-2. Points went to serve until 4-4. Pera served and lost the point, pushing one wide, giving Qiang the chance to serve it out. Another long Pera backhand and Qiang at 6-4 had two set points. One saved with a Pera forehand winner. However Pera missed the court on the second break point and Qiang levelled the match 0-6 7-6(5).
Set three saw break points in all but two of the games, including the opener, which Pera won. Qiang levelled at 2-2 after breaking back, but then fell away, losing the next three games, two of those service breaks.
Serving for the match, Pera failed the test, as she did in set two. Two Pera backhand errors and another from the forehand led to two break points. A final forehand mistake sealed the break and 3-5.
Qiang served to stay in the match, something she’d done successfully three times in set two. This time, an errant forehand, a poor backhand, and a winning Pera forehand (her 29th) brought up two match points.
Qiang hit a forehand wide and Bernarda Pera won the match 6-0 6-7(5) 6-3.
- Barbora Strycova (9) defeated Katerina Siniakova (6) 6-1 6-2
- Qualifier Jil Teichmann defeated lucky loser Tamara Korpatsch 6-2 6-1
- Wildcard Karolina Muchova defeated Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-3 6-4
Semi final match ups
Barbora Strycova (9) v qualifier Jil Teichmann
Bernarda Pera v wildcard Karolina Muchova
No comments:
Post a Comment