Anastasia Rodionova destroys Polona Hercog in 1st round – Western & Southern Open 2011
The Western & Southern Open fired up with its women 1st round fixtures here on Monday, 15thAugust. Characterized as a Premier 5 WTA Event, the fixtures were played at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre, Ohio
on hard-court circuit.
Playing for the first time ever, Polona Hercog, Slovenian, went against Anastasia Rodionova of Australia. However, the match ended up upside down. Ranked much lower than the Slovenian, world No. 113, the Aussie put forward once
in a life time beating to the Slovenian world No.42 winning with a double bagel.
Surprisingly this fixture ended before the crowed settled. It took the 29-year-old only 47 minutes to rumble the 20-year-old Slovenian. Despite the disparity in rankings, this is where experience comes handy.
Starting off with the first set, the Aussie served first to open up. Wining the first set, Rodionova took over the first game, 1-0. Breaking the 20-year-old for the first time out of the total 6 in total, the 29-year-old gained
a 2-0 lead winning game 2 of the first set.
Extending her lead to 3-0 in the next, Rodionova once again broke Polona in game 4 and then again in game 6 to finish off with a bagel in the first set. The frustrated 20-year-old now knew that why the Aussie won 2 gold Medals
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Indian.
Securing the set with little difficulty, Rodionova put forward an unbreakable defence, blistering the Slovenian with 12 service and 15 returners totalling 27 points to his win. The harassment was yet not finished as the Aussie
had a greater surprise prepared for her challenger in the set 2.
Serving first once again in the match, Rodionova went on winning the opening game of the set, 1-0. Repeating the first set beating made the Cincinnati Open 1st rounder historic. The Aussie once again out ran the young
frustrated Slovenian winning in back-to-back games and taking away the win.
Breaking the youngster 3 times in second set as well, the 29-year-old equalled in winning service and returns points, 12 each, totalling 24 to his second set win. Adding to the 27 points in the first set, Rodionova won the match
securing a total of 51 points against the 21 of the Slovenian.
The bagel-bagel win over the world No.42 will surely provide a boost to the Aussie as she faces the best of all in the next round.
The 29-year-old gold medallist now sits in the 2nd round of the Cincinnati Open 2011 to face the former champion of the Cincinnati court, fourth seeded Maria Sharapova.
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