2011 Fed Cup: Yanina Wickmayer vs Barbora Zahlavova Strycova – Semi-final Preview
Belgian Yanina Wickmayer will duel Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the second match of the best-of-five Fed Cup semi-final between Belgium, the host, and the Czech Republic, the visitors on 16th of April 2011.
The Czechs lead 1-0 against Belgian in all time and they have a perfect opportunity to win the maiden Fed Cup title. The Belgians are without their top player, Kim Clijsters leaving the rest of team under pressure.
This will be the first meeting against Wickmayer and Strycova and despite Wickmayer being ranked higher 26 places than the Czech, she is under pressure for advancing her country to final. She is the highest ranked in the Belgian
team.
Ranked 23rd in the WTA rankings, Wickmayer had won three WTA titles and is in great form this season as well. She has a 17-8 win-loss record this season and reached final at Auckland, the first tournament she entered
in 2011. She then made a semi-final berth at Indian Wells and quarter-final berth at Paris and Charleston.
In her last match at Charleston, the 23-year-old lost to top seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki in three sets. Wickmayer committed four double faults, several unforced errors and saved nine out of fourteen breakpoints she faced. The
Belgian had a convincing first serve share of 72 percent and registered an acceptable 59 percent win on it. She won first set against the Dane but was outclassed later as she only converted four out ten breakpoint opportunities to her advantage as compared
to her rival’s five breaks.
Strycova on the other side of net is still chasing for her maiden title and has a 15-9 win-loss record this season so far. The highest she reached this season was at Brisbane where she reached the quarter-finals before losing to
4th seeded French Marion Bartoli.
In her last match, the 25-year-old fought well against the world number one Wozniacki as she took both sets to tie-breakers but trailed in it to eventually exit from Charleston. She played well as she had an assuring first serve
share of 72 percent and earned an acceptable 56 percent win on it. The Czech also committed zero double faults, saved seven out of nine breakpoints he faced and converted both breakpoint opportunities to her advantage.
Strycova can overpower the Belgian if she keeps her form from her last match and capitalises on the several unforced errors Wickmayer produced. She should find more breakpoint opportunities and earn more on her first serve share
to win easily in straight sets.
The Belgian’s other team members are 106th ranked Flipkens 434th ranked An-Sophie Mestach and 604th ranked Alison Van Uytvanck. On the other hand, some other Czechs in the visitor’s team are 18th ranked
Petra Kvitova, 42nd ranked Iveta Benesova and 65th ranked Lucie Hradecka.
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