Benesova/ Zakopalova depose Chuang/ Date-Krumm in quarterfinal – Hansol Korea Open 2011
Third seeded team of Iveta Benesova with Klara Zakopalova clashed against unseeded team of Chia-Jung Chuang with Kimiko Date-Krumm to close the quarterfinal of the Hansol Korea Open 2011 on Friday the 23rd of September. Battling on outdoor hard courts in Seoul, South Korea, number third seeded Czech pair (Benesova/ Zakopalova) overthrew Taipei Chuang and the Japanese Date-Krumm 6-2, 7-6(6) in just one hour and twenty six minutes of play.
Opening the first set of the match was Chuang/ Date-Krumm, who had won the pitch. However, they had a bad start and lost the opening game to Benesova/ Zakopalova. The third seeded team then broke the Japanese and Taipei in the third game and by holding their own in the fourth, they were leading on the scoreboard with a 4-0.
The teams then kept trailing behind each other with neither one allowing the other to take a competitive edge. Matching a blow for a blow the teams duelled for the last four games but Benesova/ Zakopalova were leading with 5-2. Serving for the opening set the Czech couple held serve with much ease and eventually won the game point by smashing a cross court forehand winner.
Although, the number three seeded pair didn’t smash an ace, the wonderful display of backhand and forehand swing from the two, clogged them a speedy 6-2 victory of the opening set.
Benesova/ Zakopalova did not opt to serve first in the second set but with an added boost in their performance, they broke early and rushed to a 2-0 lead. The players then held serve for the following three games and by breaking the Czech pair, Chuang/ Date-Krumm evened the score at 3-3. The players again broke each other back-to-back in the eighth and ninth game and by holding serve the score was again levelled at 5-5 and then 6-6. The set was pushed into a tie breaker.
The Czech duo rushed to a 2-0 lead, breaking their opponents early in the tiebreaker. However, the durable Taipei and Japanese pair broke back immediately and brought the score to three points each. From there onwards the score moved on even terms with neither team giving the other opportunity to break. The third seeded experts jolted into top gear and after twelve hard fought points, as they spun off two straight points with an excellent backhand winner shot to clinch the tiebreaker, 8-6.
They won the set and the match to secure a place in the semi final of the event where they will be facing the top seeded team of Natalie Grandin with Vladimira Uhlirova.
Tags: