Alexandra Cadantu upsets Mona Barthel in final qualies – BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open 2011
Qualifying eighth seed, Alexandra Cadantu from Romania, survived a mid match lapse as she upset qualifying third seeded Brit, Mona Barthel in the final qualifying round of the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open 2011 in Luxembourg on Monday 17th October. Toiling for a total of two hours and twenty four minutes, Cadantu secured a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 win over the higher ranked Brit placing herself in the main draw of the Luxembourg Open.
In their second meeting ever, Cadantu was able to avenge her loss against the Brit bringing the head-to-head to one match win each. The Brit had enjoyed a straight sets win over the Romaine in the first round of Wimbledon earlier in the season.
The Romaine started the first set on a high note determined from the beginning to win. Breaking Barthel in the very first game, Cadantu secured an early 2-0 lead. As the score progressed on serve, Cadantu struck another blow to the Brit in the fifth game as she capitalised on another breakpoint opportunity to go 4-1 in the lead. From there on it was smooth sailing for the Romaine as she served out the set on her serve to secure a 6-2 win, going one up in the set score.
Down but not out, at least for some time, Barthel bounced back in the second set. Matching blow for blow, the score progressed on even terms for the first six games. Although both players came out on the offensive in the seventh game and then onwards, neither player managed to take the lead. After an exchange of four breakpoint opportunities the score was still tied at five games each. Holding her serve in the eleventh game, Barthel broke Cadantu once more in the twelfth game to steal a 7-5 win, bringing the set score to even terms.
Losing her edge in the match hit the Romaine hard perhaps. Refocused, Cadantu came firing out in the third set to secure an early 4-1 lead. Although, Barthel broke back several times to bring the score to four games each, she could not maintain her form. After a long ninth game with several deuces and even more rallies, the Romaine was finally able to go a break up in the set, before serving out the tenth game to secure a 6-4 win and seal her three sets win over the higher ranked Brit.
Despite hitting no aces and seven costly double faults, Cadantu was able to register a 64 percent win on her first serve as she clinched a total of 95 of 186 points to secure a berth in the main draw of the event.
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