Anabel Medina Garrigues blows away Patty Schnyder in the first round of Internazionali BNL d’Italia
Spanish qualifier, Anabel Medina Garrigues, had least trouble in overwhelming the world number 43, Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the opening round clash of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, being played at the Foro Italico in
Rome, Italy on Monday. The Spaniard took merely one hour and eight minutes to wrap up a straight sets victory at 6-3, 6-2, to make it to the next round of the $2,050,000 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) clay-court event.
The contest appeared pretty one sided right from the beginning, with Garrigues dominating throughout. The Spaniard had a phenomenal first serve, reaching up to 85 per cent in the contest and struck five serve breaks to dispose
of the unseeded Swiss, who had four consecutive victories over the Spaniard prior to her defeat at Rome. Their last encounter at Toronto in 2009 resulted in a humiliating 6-2, 6-1 defeat for Garrigues. The Spanish now improved her all-time head-to-head record
against Schnyder to 2-4, stepping into the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
28-year-old Spanish veteran’s powerful serve game bestowed victory on her, as she secured 27 of 34 first serve points in the game. Schnyder had just one chance to crack a serve break, that was in the opening set and she converted
it successfully. The Swiss played a number of errant strokes in the matchup, conceding a number of unforced errors and gifting easy points to her opponent.
Garrigues had a forceful start to the opener, breaking in the very first game to lead 2-0 early in the game. The Spanish forehand worked to perfection and clinched plenty of winners for Garrigues. She raided the net frequently
to convert juicy volleys into easy cross-court winners and exert pressure upon the Swiss competitor. Schnyder showed some aggression when she registered her first serve break to cut the deficit to 2-3 but two consecutive break points from Garrigues left her
answerless. The Spaniard closed the opening set at 6-3 to get one up in the contest.
Things exacerbated for the Swiss in the following set, with Garrigues attacking her with 89 percent precise first serve. The Spaniard reeled off 14 of 16 first serve points in the second set and stung two break points to seal victory
at 6-2 and advance further into the tournament.
Up next for Garrigues is a tough opponent, the ninth seeded Frenchwomen, Marion Bartoli. The French stood victorious against the other Spanish qualifier, Arantxa Parra Santonja in the opening round clash to meet Garrigues in the
second round.
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