Anabel Medina Garrigues topples Mandy Minella to reach quarters – Fes WTA 2012
Spanish number one, Anabel Medina Garrigues, breezed past the Luxembourgian challenger, Mandy Minella, in straight sets at the Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem 2012 on Wednesday. She nudged up a 6-2, 6-3 victory against
the world number 91 to secure a place in the final eight at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) clay court event held in Fes.
Medina Garrigues, who is the only former champion still alive in this competition, displayed tremendous abilities to outsmart the 26-year-old in their first outing. After overpowering Minella in one hour and 31 minutes, the Spaniard
cruised into the quarter-finals at the Royal Tennis Club de Fes.
"I'm very happy to be in the quarterfinals," Medina Garrigues stated in a post-match press conference. "In the next match I want to try to play a little bit more freely and go for my shots a little bit more. If I can do this I
think I can continue to do well."
The top seed sluggishly stepped on Moroccan dirt and suffered the first blow in the opening game to trail at 0-1. However, she sought her rhythm after that and wiped out the successive three games before Minella could break again.
However, the Spaniard maintained her intensity and ultimately pulled out the opener with a 6-2 score line.
Ranked 26th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Medina Garrigues went berserk in the follow-up set and stroke out the opening four games in a row before the Luxembourgian could snatch a break back. She remained focused after
that and capitalised on another break chance in the sixth game to serve out the set with a breadstick. Despite squandering her edge in the seventh game, the Spaniard held his serve once more to seal the set by winning six games to three.
All in all, the Luxembourgian displayed drastic performance and held her serve once in the match. She converted four out of 12 break opportunities to her advantage but was broken down seven times, consequently exiting from the
tournament with frustration.
Next in queue for Medina Garrigues is the fifth seed, Simona Halep, who trounced her compatriot, Alexandra Cadantu, in straight sets to set-up this meeting. The Romanian number one was broken down three times but cashed in six
out of nine break chances to manipulate a 6-2, 7-5 success in almost one and a half hour-long marathon. Halep produced a better first serve share and committed fewer errors to rule the match.
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