Ashley Weinhold defeats Olga Puchkova in the qualifying 2nd round – Mercury Open 2011
Starting off on the 31st of July 2011 was the qualifying second round of the Mercury Open 2011. Ashley Weinhold played against Olga Puchkova. Both the players rivalled it out at the La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad,
California. The American Weinhold won the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 against her Russian opponent (Puchkova).
The two had taken to the courts once prior to this event and were well established with each other’s skill and technique. Their first meeting was in 2010 on the hard courts of the ITF SURPRISE event, Puchkova had won the match
with 6-1, 6-4. The Celestial Power had given a chance to Weinhold to avenge her loss and finally her prayers were answered and she was able to equalize their head to head 1-1.
Puchkova won the pitch and opened the set by not smashing an ace and instead struck a line fault. Weinhold struck zero double faults, and smashed an ace, along with, an average serve and a below the par return serve. However, Puchkova
had gained an upper hand because she was able to save and win a break point more than her American opponent.
Across the board; Puchkova won because of a relatively better serve and return serve.
The second set of the match saw a reversal of events; Weinhold smashed zero aces and struck two double faults hitting the net. She hit a number of back hand strokes, returning all the shots aimed at her by Puchkova and hence,
she was able to win a grand 73% of her total return points, along with, an average serve.
Mean while, Puchkova was unable to play Weinhold’s shots and was intimidated by her opponents technique. Puchkova clenched a pathetic 27% of her total service points along with an average 43% win in her total return serves.
The 22-year-old American (Weinhold) was in her form, with the crowd promoting her performance throughout the set she broke her opponent four times and was able to save 60% of her break points and won the match with almost twice
as many points than her opponents.
The third set was to decide the winner as both the players had grabbed a set each; serving first with great resoluteness was Weinhold; she opened the score at 1-0. She did not hit an ace and neither did she strike a double fault.
She had a remarkable first serve win which was 71% in the set along with a return serve that “kangoo jumped” all her opponents shots, she won an exceptional 80% of her total return points in the set.
On the contrary her opponent (Puchkova) hit no aces, her precession was shaky and she hit 3 line faults, Due to a poor serve and return serve she lost the set and the match.
Weinhold had a defence which did not slip, hence she did not give her opponent an opportunity to break her instead she managed to win 75% percent of her break points. Winning more than three times the score of her opponent she
won the set with a walloping 76% win in her total set points.
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