2011 BMW Malaysian Open: Anne Kremer and Kurumi Nara progress to the second round
Anne Kremer defeats Kimiko Date-Krumm in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5)
Qualifier Anne Kremer from Luxembourg ousted Japanese tennis pro Kimiko Date-Krumm in three tough sets at the first round of the 2011 BMW Malaysian Open, reserving a spot in the second round. It took Kremer, who is 35 years old, over two hours and fifteen
minutes to defeat her opponent.
The first set was a comparatively easy victory for Date-Krumm, who was seeded seventh at the event. She was unable to score any aces, but committed less double faults than her opponent and successfully broke Kremer once. She won five points more than her
opponent to win the first set. Her performance in the first ten games was reminiscent of the game against Maria Sharapova last year at the Toray Pan Pacific Open; she had started strongly in that match but was eventually defeated.
The 40-year-old Japanese player could not keep up her momentum in the next set; Kremer rose quickly in the next set to score two aces and save both break points against her. She also converted two of four break points against Date-Krumm successfully. Consequently,
Kremer rose from a set down to win the second set with 58 percent of the total appoints, 6-2.
The third set was the most competitive round so far, with both players fighting to maintain control of the match. They did not score any aces, but Date-Krumm did herself no favours by committing three double faults. Despite breaking Kremer twice, Date-Krumm
seemed exhausted halfway through and gave up the set 7-6(5). Anne Kremer won the match 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5).
The qualifier from Luxembourg will now face Thai tennis player Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in the second round of the event.
Kurumi Nara ousts Elena Bovina in straight sets 6-3, 6-3
Japanese tennis pro Kurumi Nara successfully defeated Russian tennis pro Elena Bovina in straight sets in the first round of the 2011 BMW Malaysian Open. The player, who is currently World Number 131, took a little under an hour and forty-five minutes to
defeat her opponent.
Bovina scored four aces in the first set, but it was not enough to lead her towards victory. She also committed five double faults and faced 15 break points, out of which Nara converted five successfully. Nara, who is 19 years old, eventually won the first
set with 55 percent of the total points.
The second set was mostly a repeat of the first one, although Bovina scored just one ace and both players committed two double faults each. She also saved six of eight break points, but could not compete with Nara as the Japanese pro won a satisfactory 5
percent of the total points to win the match 6-3, 6-3.
Kurumi Nara will now compete against Jelena Dokic, who defeated wild card and first seed Francesca Schiavone in the first round of the event.
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