Chanelle Scheepers dismantles Alla Kudryavtseva in 1st round – HP Japan Open 2011
Seventh seeded South African Chanelle Scheepers dismantled Alla Kudryavtseva in the opening round of the HP Japan Open 2011. The two duelled on the outdoor hard courts of the Utsubo Tennis Center in Osaka, Japan and in just sixty
minutes the seventh seed conquered Russian Kudryavtseva in straight sets of 6-2, 6-2 on Monday the 10th of October 2011.
Initiating the first round of the match was the Russian, who had taken t he lead in their head-to-head meetings. As the Russian served, her backhand shot went wayward and she erred, endorsing a game to her adversary. Mean while,
Scheepers not only capitalized from an early break in the first game but also in the third and by holding her serve in the second game, she was leading with a 3-0 score. It was in the fourth game that, Kudryavtseva made a return and bagged a single game by
breaking Scheepers.
However, Scheepers wanted to maintain that lead and was quick to break back in the fifth game. The players broke each other back to back in the next two games as the scoreboard moved to 5-2. Now Scheepers was only a game away and
as she held serve in the eighth game, she secured the opening set victory.
After winning the first set, Scheepers’ confidence had boosted and she was comfortably settled into the match. Opening for the second set was again Kudryavtseva, who again got off to an appalling start because she was unable to
hold her service game. As Scheepers held her serve in the second game, she successfully posted herself on the scoreboard at 2-0.
In the following four games the players matched a blow for a blow and won on alternate serves but Scheepers was leading by a game and break and by the end of the sixth game the scoreboard had shifted to 4-2. In the seventh game
Scheepers capitalized on a lucky break and was looking to hold serve in order to serve for the match. As she smashed a marvellous crosscourt shot, her opponent hesitated and was unable to make a return, thus, allowing her t o win the set and the match.
The seventh seeded South African was able to restore her dignity against her adversary. In the five times they had met, Kudryavtseva had taken the lead at 3-2 but with this victory under her belt Scheepers was able to close in
on the head-to-head score and equalised it at 3-3. She also expertly managed to reserve a spot in the second round of the HP Japan Open 2011.
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