Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova surprises Jelena Jankovic in 3rd round – US Open 2011
The first upset of round three at the 2011 US Open was when eleventh seeded Jelena Jankovic lost to seventeenth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in one hour and twenty four minutes. Although, it was a tough match between the two,
the Russian (Pavlyuchenkova) rushed past the Serb (Jankovic) with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The two had experienced each other’s style and technique for the first time in 2009 at Indian Wells during the second round. Pavlyuchenkova had managed to outdo Jankovic then and again this year at the Monterrey Open which is currently
held at the Sierra Madre Tennis Club in Mexico. Losing 0-2 in the head-to-head, Jankovic was given a third chance by the Higher Power during the third round of the US Open but unfortunately she was unable to prove herself and do some damage control.
Amidst the first set Jankovic had managed to keep a geometric precision and opened the set at 1-0. Both the players kept winning on their serves until the sixth game where the score board read as 3-3. After that all the games pushed
to deuces and winning two consecutive points, both the players faced long rallies but eventually in the eighth game the score was again balanced out at 4-4. The next game was a crucial point in the set as it would decide as to which way the game would turn.
Jankovic was serving for the ninth game but Pavlyuchenkova pounced at the first opportunity to break her adversary’s serve and finally took the lead at 5-4, she then held her serve in the last game to bag the set at 6-4.
The Russian was able to seize the set by striking nine winners, two aces and her super agility, completely crushing Jankovic. The Serb, on the other hand, was unable to perform because of her mental block which only resulted in
her committing more unforced errors and losing the set.
The second set didn’t see much change, though one would’ve thought that Jankovic would’ve learnt her lesson and realized her weaknesses to overcome them. Jankovic again served first and although she won on her serve and also took
the lead of 2-0 by breaking her opponent in the second game. Pavlyuchenkova was not going to give up that easily and she too broke Jankovic in the third game and by the fourth she was able to equal the score to 2-2.
Breaking her Serbian adversary for the second time, the Russian took the lead 4-2 in the sixth game. The crowd cheered for Jankovic and boosted her performance because of which she was able to break the Russian’s serve equalizing
the score at 4-4. Pin drop silence had ensued and as Jankovic went for her last serve, her defence had weakened and availing the opportunity Pavlyuchenkova broke her rival for the last time and ultimately by holding her serve clogged the set.
Pavlyuchenkova moves on ahead to play Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round of the US Open.
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