Eleni Daniilidou breezes past Anastasia Pivovarova into 2nd round – HP Japan Open 2011
Greek Eleni Daniilidou breezed past Russian Anastasia Pivovarova in the opening round of the HP Japan Open 2011. After battling for one hour and sixteen minutes on outdoor hard courts of the Utsubo Tennis Center in Osaka, Japan,
the Greek won in straight sets of 6-2, 6-2 against the Russian on Monday the 10th of October 2011.
Initiating the first round of the match was Daniilidou, who was unable to hold her serve in the first game but she was quick to break back in the second as she did not want Pivovarova to take a lead. Therefore, by the end of the
first two games the score had equalized at 1-1. In the following two games as the players won on alternate serves and the score balanced at 2-2 by the end of the fourth game.
Daniilidou cut the mouse and cat chase by shifting into top gear and utilizing the serve-break-serve technique to reel straight three games against the Russian. By the end of the seventh game the scoreboard had rotated at 5-2 for
Daniilidou. She was now only a game away from victory and as Pivovarova double faulted on her second serve; Daniilidou had clogged the opening set with a quick 6-2.
The second set was also initiated by the Greek, who held her serve in the first game and then capitalized on a breakpoint to reel of straight two games over the Russian. In the following two games the players broke each other back
to back but the Greek was leading with a 3-1 score. In the fifth and the sixth game the players each won a game on their alternate serves and the scoreboard at spun to 4-2.
Greek Daniilidou held serve in the fifth game by smashing a couple of crosscourt and drop shots which her adversary was unable to return. Serve switched, as Pivovarova served to remain in the match, her forehand shot went wayward
and in her second serve she double faulted gifting away the set and the match to Daniilidou.
The Greek was able to secure a place in the second round of the HP Japan Open 2011.
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