Dia Evtimova hits back to outrun Barbara Haas in the opening round – Nurnberger Gastein Ladies 2012
Bulgarian qualifier, Dia Evtimova, bounced back to overpower the local wildcard entrant, Barbara Haas, in a three-set thriller at the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies 2012 on Wednesday. She summed up a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 victory against the 16-year-old to secure a place
in the second round at this red clay court tournament taking place form 9th to 17th June in Bad Gastein.
The Bulgarian rising star made a slow start and lost the opening set. However, she made a fitting reply and carved out the victory with a breadstick in their first meeting. After pocketing the match in one hour and 50 minutes, Evtimova comfortably progressed
into the round of 16 at this WTA International tournament.
The world number 798, Haas prevailed in the opening set despite suffering the first blow in the second game and falling at 0-2. She quickly jumped to a 3-1 lead with two breaks of serve before losing her serve again in the sixth game. The Austrian exchanged
two more serve breaks and got the breakthrough in the 11th game, eventually sealing the opener by winning seven games to five.
Evtimova made a spectacular reply in the proceeding set and went on a four-game tear. Apart from losing her serve in the fifth game, she plucked the last two games and pulled out the equaliser with an assuring 6-1 score line.
Ranked 158th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Evtimova carried her rhythm in the final set and earned the coveted break in the opening game to take the initial lead. She lost her edge in the very next game but broke Haas’ serve once again and leaped
to a 3-1 lead. She then exchanged a serve break before cashing in her fourth break chance in the last game, subsequently registering a 6-3 success.
Next up for the Bulgarian is the local contestant, Yvonne Meusburger, who stunned fifth seeded Petra Martic in three sets to set up this duel.
Elsewhere, the American qualifier Chichi Scholl also stole the spotlight. She devastated Czech Republic’s Zuzana Ondraskova with a bagel in almost one and a half hour-long marathon.
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