Andrea Hlavackova advances with a breadstick at the BNP Paribas qualifiers – Tennis update
Czech Andrea Hlavackova defeated American Irina Falconi in straight sets in the qualifying rounds of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday night.
Ranked 96th in the world, Hlavackova is in bad shape and has not made it far in any tournament this season. She exited from the qualifying rounds at Brisbane and Sydney. However, she managed to reach the second round at the Australian Open before
losing to eighth seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka. She was also dumped in the first rounds at Memphis and Monterrey.
The Czech displayed her tremendous skills throughout the match and her awesome agility helped her enjoy a breadstick win over the American. Falconi just managed to win two games, one with break points and the other while holding her serve. She also saved
two breakpoints but couldn’t hold the Czech back. Hlavackova broke the American’s serve three times and had a much higher first serve percentage of 74 per cent as compared to the American’s 50 percent. She also earned an impressive 60 percent win on it.
World number 137, Falconi broke once in the final set but double faulted twice to give away the set. Although she registered a similar first serve percentage of 68 per cent as her opponent, she played poorly winning only 35 per cent on it. Despite being
a runner up at the Midland ITF and reaching quarter-finals at the Hammond ITF, she was ousted in this qualifying round in Indian Wells. Hlavackova on the other hand, fired two ferocious aces and registered an astonishing 73 per cent win on her first serve
to clinch the set 6-1.
She will next face Austrian Tamira Paszek. Paszek reached this spot with a bagel and a breadstick making her next matchup a worthwhile duel since both players are enjoying their top forms.
Top seeded Canadian Rebecca Marino also advanced at the qualifiers. She dumped German Tatjana Malek in straight sets 7-5, 7-5. She broke Malek’s serve five times and hammered six aces to clinch the match convincingly. Although she double faulted seven times
and had a lower first serve percentage of 58 per cent as opposed to Malek’s 66 per cent, she earned an impressive 74 per cent win on it.
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