Daniela Hantuchova dumps Nungnadda Wannasuk to begin her title defence - Pattaya Open 2012
World number 20, Daniela Hantuchova, spared just two games for the Thai contestant, Nungnadda Wannasuk, to book a place in the second round of the PTT Pattaya Open on Tuesday. Both players locked horns for the first time in their
professional careers and the third seed Slovak gusted past her opponent in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.
Hantuchova is in sublime form at the moment and looks absolutely devastating on the courts. She is the defending champion of the tournament; won the last year’s final against Sara Errani is straight sets 6-0, 6-2. Wannasuk is struggling
to make a name for her at the professional platform and her recent form was very terrible to tilt any odds in her favour.
Wannasuk started off the match with a successful serve game and looked confident at the start. Defending champion faulted just a single shot in the second game and bagged the game. She continued to exert pressure on her opponent
by smashing forceful returns across the court. Her cracking winners down the line were a treat to watch. She won the first break in the third game of the match and took the lead that dismantled the confidence of her opponent.
The Slovak carried the momentum and doubled the lead with a successful hold. Wannasuk was under the cosh, failing to make ground on most of the occurrences. Fifth game of the set witnessed epic battle between the two contestants.
The Thai player saved four break points to finally hold on to her serve.
Hantuchova didn’t ease pressure on her opponent and kept knocking at the door. In the seventh game, Wannasuk committed successive unforced errors in terms of double-faults that were capitalized by her opponent with couple of enthralling
winners down the line to register another breakthrough and consolidate the lead.
Third seed lost just one point on her serve to successfully bag the first set and progress in grand fashion. She was receiving mammoth support from the crowd as well. The Slovak beauty queen was on the roll and started off the
second set in emphatic fashion; winning the first breakpoint and terrorizing her opponent with her blistering backhand cross-court winners.
It was a bagel for the Slovak in the second set. She dumped her opponent winning three successive breaks and dropping no games on her serve to finish off the proceedings in quick succession. She faces the Pole participant, Urszula
Radwanska, in round two. It is expected to be a relatively tougher tie with the third seed once again hot favourite to cruise into the quarters.
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