Jamie Hampton upsets Romina Oprandi in opening round – KDB Korea Open 2012
American qualifier, Jamie Hampton, needed three sets to shock Romina Oprandi at the KDB Korea Open Tennis Championship 2012 on Tuesday. She hit back to formulate a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory against the 26-year-old to progress into the second round at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International event held in Seoul, South Korea.
Hampton hammered angled shots and massive forehands to outsmart the Swiss in the second battle against each other. After recording the victory in one hour and 54 minutes, the American not only avenged his loss in Kansas City last season but also levelled the head-to-head series by 1-1 against Oprandi.
The world number 65 made quick in-roads after entering the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center. She lost her opening serve and went 0-3 down. Oprandi was trailing at 2-5 when she re-focused and stroke out the next five games, eventually sealing the opener by winning seven games to five.
The 22-year-old carried her losing ways in the following set. After gifting away her serve in the third game, she trailed at 1-2. However, Hampton sought her rhythm after that and not only recovered in the very next game but easily bagged her remaining serves. She got the breakthrough in the eighth game and subsequently clinched the equaliser with a 6-3 score line.
Ranked 99th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Hampton maintained her intensity in the final set. She got the coveted break in the opening game and jumped to a 2-0 lead. The American held his composure in the remaining set and after capitalising on another break chance in the seventh game, she pocketed the decider with a 6-2 win.
The German-born Hampton sought 14 break chances and ruled throughout the match. She smashed five aces and ended the match with 98 points. The American produced a lower first serve share of 61 per cent as opposed to the Swiss’ 71 per cent but amazingly marked 35 out of 54 points on it.
Next challenge for Hampton is the eighth seed, Ekaterina Makarova from Russia. The Russian star crippled Slovenia’s Polona Hercog with a breadstick to secure this spot.
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