Ana Ivanovic ousts Anastasia Rodionova in 1st round – Toray Pan Pacific Open 2011
Former world number one Ana Ivanovic needed only sixty four minutes to oust qualifier Anastasia Rodionova in the first round of Toray Pan Pacific Open 2011. The two took up the gauntlet on outdoor hard courts at Ariake Colosseum,
Tokyo, Japan. Twelfth seeded Ivanovic was a 6-4, 6-0 winner against Australian Rodionova on Monday the 26th of September.
Sporting a 0-0 head-to-head, this was the pair's first meeting ever in their professional careers. After winning the pitch Ivanovic opted to serve first and she not only held her serve in the first game but also gave Rodionova
a slap in the face by breaking her early. By holding her serve in the third, she again broke her adversary in the fourth game but this time she completely shattered her confidence to take a lead of 4-0.
Rodionova was not going to let Ivanovic get away with an easy win and jumped back into the game by breaking her adversary. The two then held serve for the following three games to round off the score at 5-3. The serve had switched
to Ivanovic’s and even though she tried to hold her serve, as she was serving for the set, she couldn’t and endorsed a game to Rodionova.
Ivanovic was still a break up by the end of the ninth game and was waiting for her adversary to double fault under pressure. As Rodionova served, her forehand went wayward and she lost the opening set. Ivanovic went one up in the
set score.
Although, Ivanovic had committed five double faults and had targeted only 41 percent of her first serves, she had still managed to conquer most of her service games.
Commencing the second set was again Ivanovic, who dominated from the very start. Capitalizing on an early break in the second game, she took a mini lead of 2-0 and was easily able to roll the scoreboard. She then utilized the serve
break serve technique to further put her rival to shame.
By the end of the fifth game the twelfth seeded Ivanovic was leading the score board with a 5-0 and did not setup a single breakpoint opportunity for the Australian Rodionova. As the qualifier Rodionova served to remain in the
game, she double faulted on her second serve. The former world number one not only won the match but had reserved a spot in the second round of the event.
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