Elena Baltacha achieves flawless victory over Melanie Oudin in the 1st round – Mercury Open 2011
Monday August 1st, 2011 saw the start of the first round of the Mercury Open 2011, Carlsbad, California. The match was placed and the two players met each other for the first time on hard courts of
the La Costa Resort and Spa. It was an easy victory for the Ukrainian born British (Elena Baltacha) against her American opponent Melanie Oudin. Finishing the match in simply 53 minutes Baltacha won 6-0, 6-1.
The match was being played at home for the American and she should’ve displayed an outstanding performance as the crows boosted her performance. The first set of the match saw neither of the players throwing
an ace, while Oudin struck 2 double faults Baltacha’s accuracy slipped once striking a line fault.
However, The Briton had almost three times as many points than her opponent’s in her total service points (which was 75% percent) along with an amazing first return win with fifty eight percent. Her defence was
like a brick wall and didn’t allow her opponent a break point opportunity instead she managed to break her opponent.
On the contrary her rival Oudin was unable to hang in the set and soon lost the set because of a poor return game. Oudin had almost half the score of Baltacha’s in the total set points.
Even after taking a beating in the first set Oudin hadn’t learnt her lesson and although neither of the players served an ace, however the American lacked precision and struck 2 line faults. She was unable to
return even a single shot of her opponent’s in both the first and second return points and hence, attained zero points in her total return points.
Baltacha had extreme precession and did not serve a single double fault which was a major improvement from the first set. It was like as if she was on fire and the crowd went into frenzy when she managed to break
her opponent thrice to her advantage.
Whereas, her rival wasn’t even trying! It was as if she had lost all hope. In almost all her scores she (Oudin) was below the par. Losing the set with a difference of 17 total set points, the Briton won the match
2-0.
The world number 66, Elena Baltacha, outran her opponent in both the sets and her forceful serves were impossible to return for her opponent. Her presence was
dominantly felt across the courts.
Tags: