Hsieh/Zheng upset Benesova/Strycova to reach round two – Mutua Madrid Open 2012
Taiwanese-Chinese tandem, Su-Wei Hsieh and Jie Zheng, shocked the eighth seeded Czechs, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, in a three-set nail-biter at the Mutua Madrid Open 2012 on Monday. They clobbered a 6-2, 1-6, 10-6 victory against the Czechs to power into the second round at this blue clay court event held in Madrid, Spain.
The unseeded collaboration of Benesova and Strycova got the better of the higher ranked pair in one hour and 16 minutes in their first encounter. After bagging this match, Hsieh and Zheng convincingly secured a spot in the round of 16 at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Mandatory event.
Hsieh and Zheng thundered into Park Manzanares and stroke out the opening three games in a row before the seeds could hold on. They maintained their intensity and after capitalising on another break chance in the sixth game, they leaped to a 5-1 lead. Despite squandering their chance of serving out the set with a breadstick, the Taiwanese-Chinese pair broke their rivals’ serve once more and clinched the opener with a 6-2 score line. They fended off five out of six breakpoints they came across and cashed in three out of 13 break chances to inch towards the limelight.
The Czech tandem made a fitting reply in the second set and earned the coveted break in the opening game to take the initial lead. After the Taiwanese-Chinese collaboration held their serve in the third game, Benesova and Strycova blasted powerful forehands to go on a four-game rampage. The Czechs warded off the lone breakpoint they faced and capitalised on three out of four break chances to pocket the breadstick.
The match could have gone in any direction in the super tie-breaker but the unseeded tandem re-gained their strength and trashed their rivals. They dominated in it and clinched the decider with a 10-6 score line.
Overall, Hsieh and Zheng manipulated a better first serve share and amazingly clicked 27 out of 44 points on it.
Up next for the Taiwanese-Chinese team is the winner of the match between wild cards, Lourdes Dominguez Lino and Laura Pous-Tio, and the Spanish junction, Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
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