Carla Suarez Navarro ousts Misaki Doi in opening rubber – Fed Cup WG Play-Offs 2013
Carla Suarez Navarro breezed past Misaki Doi in straight sets at the Fed Cup World Group Play-offs 2013 on Saturday. She penned down a 6-3, 6-4 victory against the Japanese to lead her nation 1-0 up at this prestigious tournament held between nations.
The top Spaniard at this event, Suarez Navarro held her composure throughout the battle, eventually formulating an easy victory at her home soil. This event is taking place at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona, Spain and with Navarro’s victory, the home side’s confidence is boosted.
Suarez Navarro made a dismal entry in this encounter. She suffered the first blow in the opening game and fell at 0-2. However, the Spaniard stayed focused and snatched her break back in the fourth game. Suarez Navarro then slid her remaining serves with poise and got the breakthrough in the eighth game, eventually sealing the opener by winning six games to three.
Currently ranked 23rd in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Suarez Navarro maintained her intensity in the second set. She capitalised on two break chances and jumped to a 4-1 lead. The Spaniard lost her track and levelled the scores at 4-4. However, Suarez Navarro sought her rhythm, again and got the coveted break in the ninth game. She held her serve once more and clinched the set with a 6-4 score line.
The next rubber is between Silvia Soler- Espinosa who will take on top ranked Japanese, Ayumi Morita.
Spain currently leads 1-0 in the head-to-head series against Japan.
Elsewhere, France’s Marion Bartoli stole the show against Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva. She jolted down a 6-0, 6-3 victory against the Kazakh and led her nation take a 1-0 lead.
The French top ranked star, Bartoli went out of control in the opening set. She unleashed flurry of groundstrokes, eventually pulling out the opener with a bagel.
Bartoli kept momentum rolling in the proceeding set. She found her rhythm after the fifth game. The Frenchwoman reeled off last four games and eventually pocketed the set with a 6-3 success.
Alize Cornet will square off against Yaroslava Shvedova in the second rubber.
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