Aravane Rezai strains past Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor in the 2nd qualifier – Barcelona Ladies Open 2012
French tennis professional, Aravane Rezai, sneaked a win against the 19-years-old Spaniard, Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, in the second qualifier of the Barcelona Ladies Open. The match was extremely close throughout the way and ended
with the scores of 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-5.
The battle was fought for two hours and 38 minutes and the local teen showed immense strength to keep the match alive all the way; never gave up until it was officially over. Both players registered a terrific maiden encounter
against one another. Flor received a standing ovation from the home crowd at the end of the match for her supreme performance at the Red clay courts of Barcelona, Spain.
A couple of breakpoints were exchanged at the start of the match that was followed by tight serve holds. Both players were toe-to-toe before the local teen stunned the experienced French with a brilliantly constructed breakthrough.
The Spaniard was tested to her limits but she passed every trial to register a crucial serve hold that rounded off the opening set proceedings. Flor stole the win with a difference of seven points; bagging 47 out of 87 total points
contested.
French third seed started the second set in dismal fashion but recovered in the fourth game with a breakthrough. Scores were further pushed to 3-3 with the help of serve holds at both ends. An exchange of breakpoints kept the scores
together.
A tie-breaker round was enforced to decide the set. World number 137 utilized her experience to exert pressure on her rival. She captured the initial few points that decreased the odds of an upset in straight sets. French took
the second set in the end and kept her chances alive.
Both players were reading the minds of one another with precision. Flor started the set with a serve hold and so did her opponent. A swap of breakpoints on two different occasions kept the scores together. No one was looking to
bow down and scores progressed to 5-5 in the meantime.
It was the moment when the deciding breakthrough came; Rezai was the one who broke serve and took the lead of 6-5. It was compulsory for the local teen to break back immediately to keep the match alive but despite winning a couple
of points in the final game, she failed to stop her rival from winning the match.
Rezai squares-off against the eighth seed Italian, Maria Elena Camerin, to contest for a spot in the main round of the tournament.
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