Barbora Zahlavova Strycova dismisses Andrea Hlavackova in three sets in the first round of the 2011 Family Circle Cup
Czech tennis pro Barbora Zahlavova Strycova defeated tennis pro and compatriot Andrea Hlavackova in three unpredictable sets in her first round match at the 2011 Family Circle Cup, winning the match 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(6). It took the
player exactly two hours and thirty-five minutes to proceed to the second round of the tournament.
Zahlavova Strycova is currently ranked World Number 48, and is 25 years old. The player has been part of the Women’s Tennis Association for almost eight years, having joined the tour in 2003. She is a right-handed pro, and has
won thirteen of her twenty-one matches so far this year. Andrea Hlavackova, on the other hand, is ranked much lower than Zahlavova Strycova at World Number 94. She is 24 years old, and turned pro one year after her Czech opponent in 2004. She, too, is a right-handed
player.
Zahlavova Strycova won the first set of the match easily, returning Hlavackova’s destructive forehands with ease to win an impressive 60 percent of the total points in the set. Both players committed one double fault apiece, but
Zahlavova Strycova prevailed with a 6-2 win. However, Hlavackova turned the tables on her opponent in the next set by taking over the match to fire off one ace and fight off all three break points to win 58 percent of the points. She also broke Zahlavova Strycova
two times, and won the set with a 6-2 scoreline.
The third set of the match was by far the most challenging, with both players going all out to fight for a chance to qualify for the second round of this prestigious event. Hlavackova scored two aces in the process, and Zahlavova
Strycova managed a single ace. However, Hlavackova put herself at a serious disadvantage by committing three double faults during the match. She was also broken thrice, a situation which she managed to counterbalance by successfully converting three of four
break points against Zahlavova Strycova. However, the more experience Czech of the two used her skills to master the third set, and won the match 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(6) to scrape into the second round of the Family Circle Cup.
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and Andrea Hlavackova have competed against each other twice before. Their most recent meeting was in 2010, when they competed against each other on the clay courts of Prague in their homeland. Zahlavava
Strycova managed to defeat Hlavackova then as well, and their head to head record is now 3-0 in Zahlavova Strycova’s favour.
Fifteenth seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova will now face Australian tennis player Anastasia Rodionova in the next stage of the Charleston event.
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