Christina McHale cruises past Elena Vesnina to reach the third round – BNP Paribas Open 2012
Local star, Christina McHale, tumbled over the Russian ace, Elena Vesnina, in straight sets at the BNP Paribas Open 2012 on Friday. She joggled up a 6-3, 7-5 victory over the world number 54 in the second round at this joint hard court tournament taking place in California, United States.
The 32nd seed took down Vesnina in straight sets at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in their first outing. She fired three aces and lost her serve once in each set to pocket the match.
McHale, who is just 19-year-old, made a shaky entry at these Californian hard courts and suffered the first blow in the third game. However, she made a quick counter-attack and not only snatched her break back in the follow-up game but capitalised on another break chance in the eighth game, ultimately clinching the opener with a 6-3 score line.
35th ranked McHale kept momentum rolling into the following set and held her opening serve in the second game to level the scores at 1-1. The American kept her remaining serves until the ninth game when she earned the coveted break, eventually putting her nose ahead for the first time in this set. In spite of levelling the scores in the very next game, the youngster wiped out the last two games and sealed the set with a 7-5 win.
All in all, the Russian appeared rusty throughout the duel. She spilled eight double faults and committed several unforced errors. Apart from producing a better first serve share of 63 per cent as opposed to McHale’s 59 per cent, Vesnina clicked 27 out of 45 points on it. The Russian cashed in both break chances but defended only half of the eight breakpoints she faced.
The teenager became the first American to enter as a seeded player at this WTA Premier Mandatory event since Lindsay Davenport in 2008. Despite being a top-32 player of the tournament, McHale felt nothing special about it other than receiving a first round bye.
"It was nice to get a bye in the first round, but my mentality is the same," the in-form American stated in a post-match press conference. "It's the first time, so it's weird seeing a number next to my name, but it doesn't change my mentality at all."
She will next face the reigning Wimbledon titlist, Petra Kvitova, who crushed her compatriot, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, with a breadstick to set-up this clash.
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