Dia Evtimova defeats Sacha Jones in the final qualifier - XXV Italiacom Open 2012
World number 158, Dia Evtimova, ousted the 21-year-old Aussie starlet, Sacha Jones, in the final qualifying round of the XXV Italiacom Open on the eve of Monday. She dumped her rival in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 taking just over an
hour and 25 minutes.
Evtimova struggled throughout the year to reach the main round of Premier tournaments and it was her prime opportunity to qualify for the main round of the clay courts championship at Palermo, Italy. However, her rival was a tough
one especially considering her recent switch of nationalities from New Zealand to Australia just to improve her game shows her willpower to improve and excel in the professional field of tennis.
The opening set witnessed an early breakpoint for the 173rd ranked Aussie who held her opening serve to push the scores at 2-0. However, a serve hold followed by thumping breakthrough by the Bulgarian superstar levelled
the scores at 2-2.
Evtimova continued to dominate the show and held her serve to take a lead; consolidated her position by grabbing another breakthrough in the sixth game that posted a lead of 4-2 in her favour. A double swap of breakthroughs by
both players ended the opening set in favour of the 25-year-old Bulgarian.
There was technically nothing at all between the two players that could discriminate them from one another. They were equally talented and met blow by blow in the opening set. The major reason of the down fall of Jones was her
inability to start the match with a serve hold that always builds an extra pressure.
In the end, the difference of just seven points separated the opening set winner from the runners-up. The Bulgarian grabbed 34 points in total and cemented her position in the match. She converted four of the allotted five opportunities
compared to three off the five by her rival; that was the major difference between the players in the end.
Both players capitalized on their serves in the first two games of the second set before a flurry of breakpoints took over the show. A double exchange of breakthroughs kept the scores together at 3-3. Suddenly, out of nowhere,
the 158th ranked Bulgarian managed a serve hold to love and took a lead of 4-3.
Jones couldn’t manage to hold serve and trailed by three games to five. Evtimova was serving for the set but the Aussie starlet kept her chances alive by breaking serve and diminishing the trail. However, she failed to hold serve
and lost the match.
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