Galina Voskoboeva bounces back against Flavia Pennetta; labours into 3rd round – Rogers Cup 2011
Kazakh qualifier Galina Voskoboeva made an epic comeback to overpower Italy’s Flavia Pennetta in a three setter at the Rogers Cup 2011, 122nd edition of the Canadian Open held on the hard courts of Toronto. She registered
a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the 29-year-old Italian to advance into the third round on Wednesday.
Ranked 134th in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, Voskoboeva finally succeeded in taking revenge for her lost at this Premier 5 event five years back. She not only levelled the head-to-head series by 1-1 against
the Italian but also booked a third round spot.
The Italian, ranked 111 places above her Kazakh rival, made quick in-roads after taking the first blood in the third game. She lost her serve in the proceeding game but went into rage mode. Pennetta rolled the balls expertly onto
the lines to reel off last four games in a row and clinched with a 6-2 win. The Italian spilled four double faults and saved three out of four breakpoints conceded. However, she cashed in on all three breakpoint chances to her advantage to win easily.
The qualifier carried her losing ways in the second set and gifted away her opening serve in the first game. She then hit back by striking out next three games consecutively to take a 3-1 lead. Despite losing her serve again in
the proceeding game, the Kazakh broke Italian’s serve again in the sixth game to eventually seal the equaliser by winning six games to three. She failed to fend off both breakpoints faced but converted three out of four breakpoint chances to her advantage.
The Moscow resident, Voskoboeva kept momentum rolling into the final set as she broke Pennetta’s opening serve to take the initial lead. Regardless of losing her serve in the proceeding game, she unleashed flurry of groundstrokes
to reel off next four games in a row before the Italian could hold on for the first time. The Kazakh then held her serve for the last time in the eighth game to earn the glory with a 6-2 score line. She couldn’t save the only breakpoint faced but capitalised
on half of the six breakpoint chances to her advantage.
Overall, the Italian displayed dismal performance as she produced a poor first serve share of 49 percent as compared to qualifier’s 68 percent. She also spilled several errors and ten double faults to gift away her serves.
Next up for the Kazakh is the fifth seeded Russian Maria Sharapova. Voskoboeva triumphed over ninth seeded French Marion Bartoli in her opening round match and if she continues to play like this, the Kazakh can not only best a
former world number one but could also go far in this event.
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