2011 BMW Malaysian Open: Ekaterina Ivanova upsets Nina Bratchikova to proceed to the second round
Russian tennis player Ekaterina Ivanova managed to oust fellow countrywoman Nina Bratchikova in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the first round of the 2011 BMW Malaysian Open, held at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort. The match lasted just
under two hours.
Ivanova is currently ranked World Number 166, while her opponent Bratchikova is Number 132. Therefore, the 23-year-old player was not expected to win the match due to her lower ranking; however, she surprised both fans and pundits by scoring point
after point in the first set. The Russian pro managed to score three aces, and committed just one double fault. She also successfully converted two of four break points and scored 58 percent of the total points in the set. Bratchikova struggled to keep up,
committing two double points and converting just one break point throughout the set. Ivanova ended the set with a 6-3 victory.
However, Bratchikova returned to force in the second set to take revenge on her compatriot. This resurgence coincided with a mid-match lapse for Ivanova, who helped her opponent’s cause by committing double faults. She was also unable to defend two
of four break points against herself. Consequently, Bratchikova won six points more than her to win the second set 6-4, forcing the match into a tie-breaker.
The last set of this first-round was also the most competitive, with both players fighting for a chance to play in the second round of the Malaysian tournament. Ivanova seemed to recover from her second-set lapse to return to form, scoring one ace
and avoiding any double faults throughout the set. On the other side of the court, Bratchikova managed to score an ace; however, she also committed two double faults. By the end of the match, Bratchikova had converted one of two break points successfully.
She was also broken twice by Ivanova, who drove her to break point four times during the last set. Ivanova then proceeded to win the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
This victory brings their head-to-head record to 2 all. The two players have competed against each other three times before this, with Ivanova scoring a similar victory over her opponent in their most recent match at Roland Garros during the 2010 French
open. The two pros met in the round of the last 128, where Ivanovic recovered from a set down to defeat Bratchikova 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Ekaterina Ivanova will be competing against French player and second seed Marion Bartoli, who is currently World Number 18, in the second round. Bartoli defeated Italian World Number 115 Maria Elena Camerin in the first round of the tournament, winning
the match in straight sets.
Tags: