Bethanie Mattek-Sands edges past Naomi Broady to reach qualifying competition – Open GDF Suez 2012
Seeded at number two in the qualifying draw, America’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands registered a hard-fought victory against Naomi Broady of the Great Britain in the second round matchup on Sunday. The 26-year old American took one hour
and 41 minutes to wrap up the contest, settling the final scores at 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, to move into the qualifying competition of the tournament.
The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier-level tournament is being played on the indoor hard courts of Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris, France. The world number 68, Mattek-Sands, was off to a brilliant start in the opening
set but tend to lose her winning ways in the middle parts of the game to let her opponent back in the business. The Briton clinched the second set with her crafty game play but was completely outplayed in the final set, as Mattek-Sands won with a breadstick.
Broady was led down by her error-ridden game play; most of her strokes landed long and wide of the court and she coughed eight costly double faults to award some precious un-fought points to his opponent. Although Mattek-Sands
delivered merely 48 per cent of her serve on target, the second seeded American reeled off 29 out of 39 first serve points en route to victory. Broady won 30 out of her 39 points but couldn’t match the amazing skill of her superior-ranked opponent, who nailed
four out of 10 serve breaks to drive her out of the competition.
It was a closely fought encounter between the two women but 21-year-old Broady’s lack of experience played its part in her agonising defeat. She took off the first set very well and held serve in the opening seven games before
dropping it for the first time in the eighth game. Mattek-Sands took the opening set at 6-3 but a cracking serve break in the fourth game of the following set shifted the momentum to the Briton’s side. Broady took the second set at 6-3 to bring the contest
back on even terms.
Mattek-Sands shifted her gears in the final set and went absolutely berserk in the final set, breaking her opponent’s serve three times in a row to rocket away to 6-1.
Mattek-Sands will feature the all-American encounter in the qualifying competition, facing Jill Craybas for a spot in the main draw of the tournament. Craybas was successful against Anna Remondina of Italy in the second round of
the qualifier, defeating her in straight sets, 7-6(5), 6-2, to face the second seeded fellow compatriot.
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