Ana Ivanovic trounces Monica Niculescu to reach round two – Generali Ladies Linz 2012
Former world number one, Ana Ivanovic, got the better of the Romanian starlet, Monica Niculescu, in straight sets at the Generali Ladies Linz 2012 on Wednesday. She nudged up a 7-5, 6-3 victory against the world number 70 to secure a spot in the second round at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International event held in Linz, Austria.
Seeded second in this event, Ivanovic stayed on track to bid for her maiden career title this season after outshining the Romanian in their second encounter. After earning the fame in one hour and 15 minutes, the Serb improved to a 2-0 lifetime in the head-to-head series against the 25-year-old and progressed into the round of 16 at this indoor hard court event.
Ivanovic made a sloppy entry at the Intersport Arena. She suffered the first blow in the seventh game and went 3-4 down. However, the Serbian beauty quickly counterattacked and snatched her break back in the very next game. She held her remaining serves with poise and cashed another break opportunity in the last game, eventually sealing the set by winning seven games to five.
Currently ranked 12th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Ivanovic kept momentum running towards the following set. She got the critical break in the second game and cruised to a 2-0 lead. Regardless of losing her edge in the very next game, the Serb broke her rival’s serve once again and jumped to a 4-1 lead. She held her remaining serves with ease and eventually clicked the set with a 6-3 success.
The 24-year-old showed awe-inspiring skills throughout the duel. She fired two aces and apart from clobbering a lower first serve share of 61 per cent, the Serb impressively availed 25 out of 31 points on it.
Next in line for Ivanovic is the former Top 10, Andrea Petkovic, who is still seeking her rhythm after suffering a series of injuries. The German wild card entrant, Andrea Petkovic, was broken three times but capitalised on five out of 12 break chances, eventually sealing the deal with a 7-6(3), 6-2 score line. She spilled fewer unforced errors and impressively marked 33 out of 49 points on her higher first serve share.
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