Bethanie Mattek-Sands stuns Carla Suarez Navarro to reach the last eight – Generali Ladies Linz 2012
Highlight of the fourth day in Linz was the clash between the 27-year-old American qualifier, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and the 35th ranked Spanish star, Carla Suarez Navarro. It was a remarkable performance from the 201st
ranked American who crushed the 24-year-old Spaniard in just 70 minutes at the hard courts of Linz. She registered an incredible score line of 6-3, 6-3 to book a berth in the last eight of the contest.
Having come across all the way from the qualifying stages, it was a terrific achievement for the American who now holds a 2-1 head-to-head lead against the Spanish star with the help of this victory. It was the only upset that
was witnessed on the eve of Thursday and probably the biggest one of the lot considering the difference in ranking of both players.
Sands started the contest as expected; failed to hold serve and went down a trail early in the contest. However, she stunned everyone by winning the following four points on the trot that helped her to equalize the scores at 1-1.
Both players capitalized on their serves until the end of the seventh game of the match.
Navarro was preparing to serve for the fourth time in the match and that game proved to be the turning point in the contest. Sands broke serve after a couple of deuces and held her own with no problem at all to round off the first
set. It was a mind-startling performance from someone who has been out of form for so long.
Sands started the second set with a bang; clinched two breakpoints in a row and didn’t falter on her serve to make it 4-0 in her favour. She was cruising along at the scores of 5-2 when her opponent won a breakpoint and lowered
the trail. It was expected that the 24-year-old Spaniard will show some fighting spirit from that stage but the onslaught of the American forced her to drop all points on her serve and lose the contest in the most astonishing fashion.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands squares off against Irina-Camelia Begu in the quarter final of the tournament.
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