Chanelle Scheepers labours past Maria Kirilenko into title match – WANLIMA Women’s Open 2011
Seventh seeded South African Chanelle Scheepers needed a third set to stun the top seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko at the WANLIMA International Women’s Open 2011, a WTA International event held in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of
China. She registered a 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 victory over the 24-year-old Kirilenko to secure a final spot on Friday.
World number 73, Scheepers overwhelmed threat by the Russian, ranked 45 places above her in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, in brutal three sets on their fourth meeting. She avenged her loss at the French Open this season
and levelled the head-to-head series by 2-2 against Kirilenko.
The lower seed displayed exceptional skills at the opening set and founded seven breakpoint chances of which she converted two to her advantage to bag the opener with a 7-5 win. Scheepers exchanged an early break and then broke
the Russian’s serve again in the end to earn this success. The South African also saved three out of four breakpoints faced and despite spilling nine double faults, she registered a spectacular 81 percent win on it.
Both starlets continued playing their best tennis in the second set but this time the higher ranked player edged over the South African. Kirilenko exchanged two early breaks and then broke Scheepers’ serve again in the last game
to clinch the equaliser with a 7-5 victory. The Russian perfected her game this time around as she committed zero double faults and manifested a higher first serve share of 65 percent as compared to her rival’s 50 percent. In addition to this, Kirilenko saved
one out of three breakpoints came across and cashed in on half of the six breakpoint chances to her advantage.
The delighted Russian carried her momentum into the decider as she easily wiped out first three games in a row before Scheepers could hold on.
After Kirilenko held her serve in the fifth game, the South African went into savage mode to reel off next five games in a row with her blistering forehands and sealed the decider with a 6-4 win.
27-year-old South African will next face the winner of the match between Chinese Jie Zheng and eighth seeded Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.
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