Ani Mijacika downs Claudia Giovine; races up to the first round – XXIV SNAI Open 2011
A comprehensive display of power tennis by Ani Mijacika of Croatia has ended Claudia Giovine’s Palermo dreams at the final round of qualifying draw of XXIV SNAI Open 2011 here on Monday.
The Italian No.17 who was longing to reach the first round of the main draw, could not put up a great fight and took the line of least resistance and moved out of the tournament with a 6-4, 6-3 score line.
Giovine started the match promisingly enough against the cryogenically challenged Croat, holding serve with much more confidence and strafing ground shots like gunfire into an uncharacteristically weak Croatian forehand.
In a soaring first set of rocket groundstrokes, the Italian and her opponent were watching the ball like amelon and squeezing the pips out of every single rally. Time and again, massive, meaty hitting from Giovine’s forehand found
the depth, leading the set score 2-0.
With the fiery shots resonating In the Italian air like rifle cracks, the pair rode their powerhouse display of tennis to 4-4. Giovine, who is ranked 377 in the WTA singles ranking list, looked like a woman facing the firing squad
as Mijacika was firing heavily into the vulnerable Italian defence. At 5-4, she looked all-set to serve out for the set and the Croatian fans erupted as she held out for the first set with six games to four.
Mijacika had dibs on the opening set with a whopping three aces and 59 percent of her first serve and besides this, she won 56 percent of points on her service, 52 percent of points on return and a total of 30 of 56 during the
opening set.
With the momentum of Mijacika’s racket and Giovine seemingly rattled, the Italian woman missed a first-rate chance to press the home advantage. With Giovine serving at 2-1, the home hope contrived to fire when forehand sailed long,
and the Mijacika bubble had just burst.
And as soon as the Giovine’s serve got bigger and bigger in the fourth game, it seemed that the Croat was losing the faith in her shots, although she was trying to play on almost every key point, and looking desperate to take the
initiative from the Italian.
Mijacika knew that she did perform great in the opener and her performance in the opening set helped restore her belief in her shots, clinching the second set with six games three.
The Croat now enters the opening round of the tournament where she will face Eleni Daniilidou in the first round of the tournament here at Palermo, Italy.
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