Ana Savic upsets Marta Sirotkina to enter final round – Ankara Cup 2012
Croatian starlet, Ana Savic, got the better of the fifth seed, Marta Sirotkina, in a three-set topsy-turvy match at the Ankara Cup 2012 on Friday. She summed up a 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 7-6(3) victory against the world number 159 to secure a spot in the title-round
at this ITF (International Tennis Federation) Women’s Circuit event taking place in Ankara, Turkey.
The underdog showed exceptional skills to shock Sirotkina in their first encounter. After recording the victory in almost three hours, Savic charged into the final showdown at this indoor hard court tournament taking place from 17th to 23rd
December.
The 21-year-old made a convincing entry at the Ankara Tennis Club. She put her nose ahead after drawing the first blood early in the set. Sirotkina lost her edge in the sixth game but held her composure, eventually prolonging the set to a tie-breaker. She
went berserk in it and ultimately clinched the opener with a 7-6(1) score line.
Savic re-structured her strategy and turned the tables on Sirotkina in the following set. She dropped her serve twice and went 1-5 down. However, she stayed focused and subsequently snatched her breaks back. The set went to a tie-breaker again but the Croat
dominated in it, eventually sealing the equaliser with a 7-6(2) win.
Ranked 285th in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Savic kept her momentum rolling in the final set which matter the most. She exchanged three serve breaks before dragging the set to a tie-breaker. The Croat outshined her rival
in it and clinched the decider with a 7-6(3) score line.
The Croatian youngster spilled higher number of unforced errors and double faults. However, she manifested a better first serve share and hammered more aces.
The high flying Savic will face off the second seed, Monica Puig from Puerto Rico. Puig devastated the seventh seed, Aleksandra Krunic, with a breadstick to set up this battle. She manipulated a 7-6(4), 6-1 score line in almost one and a half hour. The Puerto
Rican winded up the last five games consecutively to secure this place. She hammered more winners and ruled throughout the match.
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