Anabel Garrigues defeats Christina McHale in the second qualifier round – AEGON International 2011
Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain put in a gritty performance to overcome America’s Christina McHale 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of qualifying draw at the 2011 AEGON International on Monday.
Ranked 43rd in the WTA (Women Tennis Association) singles rankings list, Garrigues took a little over one hour and ten minutes to beat the American and progressed into the final qualifying round.
Garrigues, who won the Estoril Open for the first time in her career two months ago, took some time to find her rhythm and the first set went with serve until the Spaniard player managed to break the American to take the first
set 6-3.
Playing against the American for the first time in her career, Garrigues needed some time to achieve her metronomic rhythm as her opponent’s aggressive all-court game threw the Spaniard a loop. But Garrigues, who had been encountering
with some refreshingly purposeful forehands, knew how to tackle them.
The 28-year-old Spaniard took the early lead in the first set, breaking McHale in the second game and rushing towards a 3-0 lead. The American McHale, who is only 19-years-old, had no mood to surrender either as she quickly replied
back by clinching three straight games to tie the score at 3-3. Serving at 4-3, Spaniard beautifully manoeuvred the American and utilized her two-handed backhand to great effect and closed out the first set with a 6-3 score.
The Spaniard was able to fire a single ace and 85 percent on her first serve. In addition, she won 74 percent of points on her first serve, 41 percent of points on her return and a total of 31 of 54 in the first set. McHale on
the other hand, could not find a way to fire any ace, but somehow she managed to won 59 percent on her service, 26 percent on return and a total of 43 percent in the opening set.
In the second set, despite facing an early break point on her serve, Garrigues completed her victory unscathed after winning four games in a row. Her American opponent got off to a poor start as she was broken a couple of times
to let the lead go and allowing her opponent to nab the early advantage. While she did manage to hold on to few occasions, her serve continued to be a problem and the Spaniard took the second set with a 6-2 score.
Garrigues played her tactics superbly, held her nerve on the crucial points and McHale failing to sparkle at the right moment, allowed her higher ranked opponent to make her way into the final round where she will meet Bojana Jovanovski
of Serbia.
Garrigues and Bojana have already met each other at two different occasions and their head-to-head series is tied at 1-1. The Spaniard will be hoping to experience the same form as she moves on to the next round.
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