Gail Brodsky surprises Michelle De Brito to advance into main draw – Bell Challenge 2011
Seventh seeded American Gail Brodsky stunned top seeded Portuguese Michelle Larcher De Brito in straight sets at the Bell Challenge 2011. After earning this 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 199th ranked American, De Brito advanced
into the main draw of this indoor hard court event on Tuesday.
Ranked 239th in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, Brodsky required exactly an hour to upset the highest ranked player, 18-year-old Portuguese, of the qualifiers of this WTA International event. She was facing the
Portuguese for the first time and after displaying tremendous attributes, Brodsky booked a first round spot.
20-year-old American smoothly held her entire serves of the opening set as she faced zero breakpoint. Furthermore, she cashed in on the only breakpoint chance in the eighth game to clinch the opener with a 6-3 score line. Despite
spilling more errors and clobbering a poor first serve share, Brodsky registered a superb 82 percent win on it.
The American kept momentum sailing into the final set and earned the desiderated break in the opening game. She broke De Brito’s serve again and went 5-1 up. Although she lost her serve to love afterwards, Brodsky held her serve
in the tenth game to clinch the set with a 6-4 victory. She clobbered a poor first serve share but registered an impressive 83 percent win on it.
She will next face a local wild card entrant, Aleksandra Wozniak in the first round.
Ashley Weinhold is the only other qualifying seed to advance into the main draw. The fourth seeded American trashed her compatriot Abigail Spears in straight sets in an hour later that day.
Weinhold took the first blood in the fourth game and subsequently went 4-1 up. She held her entire serves through amazing forehands and backhands and converted another breakpoint opportunity to her advantage in the last game to
seal the opening set by winning six games to two.
The seeded American lost her winning ways into the final set as she lost an early serve and went 3-1 down. Despite trailing, she kept her composure and quickly roared back by winning the next five games consecutively. Weinhold
eventually sealed the set with a convincing 6-3 score line.
22-year-old Weinhold displayed exceptional skills throughout the match as she produced a higher first serve share and earned an incredible 86 percent win on it. Furthermore, the beaming American saved two out of three breakpoints
faced and converted four out of six breakpoint chances to her advantage.
She will next face third seed Tamira Paszek of Austria in the opening round match.
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