Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova and Klara Zakopalova win Women’s Doubles title – UNICEF Open 2011
Fourth seeded Czech pair of Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova and Klara Zakopalova stood victorious in enthralling final of the women doubles event of the UNICEF Open on Saturday, against the duo of Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia and Flavia Pennetta of Italy.
The action-packed competition lasted for one hour and nine minutes before the Czech pair finally came out as the winner in the end. Zahlavova-Strycova and Zakopalova combined their efforts with great proficiency to lift the trophy at the final stop before Wimbledon.
The contest was played at the grass courts of Autotron park in Rosmalen, near 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and the two teams put up a great show pro tennis for the local crowd. The back-and-forth affair was a test of nerves and mental steel, which the fourth seeded pair passed in the end to bag the championship.
Cibulkova and Pennetta had a tremendous start in the opening set, absolutely devastating their opponents to get one up in the competition. They eventually lost their grip over the game in the later parts of the match and let Zahlavova-Strycova and Zakopalova back in the game. The Czech duo took the second set after some struggle and then sustained their winning momentum to seal victory by clinching the decider as well.
Both pairs had seven break opportunities each, with the Czech duo registering three and Cibulkova and Pennetta securing four break points in the contest. Despite of a poor start to the contest, Zahlavova-Strycova and Zakopalova built up their pace gradually and keep winning crucial points on regularity to nab the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) championship title.
Cibulkova and Pennetta had a blistering start to the opener and broke the fourth seeded pair twice before closing the first set in the most authoritative manner at 6-1. It appeared as if the combination of Cibulkova and Pennetta will register an easy win in the final but a tremendous comeback was witnessed by Zahlavova-Strycova and Zakopalova, who reeled off the second set at 6-4 to level the matchup.
Zahlavova-Strycova and Zakopalova then went on to win the decisive set 10-7, after a stiff fight with their opponents to claim the doubles title at UNICEF Open.
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