Jana Cepelova cripples Leticia Costas-Moreira to enter main draw – Nurnberger Ladies Open 2012
Qualifying second seed, Jana Cepelova, devastated the Spanish contestant, Leticia Costas-Moreira, with a breadstick at the qualifying event of Nurnberger Gastein Ladies 2012 on Monday. She jolted down a 6-1, 6-2 victory against the 22-year-old to book a
place in the main draw at this red clay court tournament held in Bad Gastein, Austria.
The Slovakian starlet stayed on track to bid for her maiden WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) career title after trouncing Costas-Moreira in straight sets. Meeting each other for the first time, Cepelova enthusiastically progressed into the opening round.
Cepelova thundered into this WTA International event and went on a four-game tear before the Spaniard could come on the score sheet. The Slovak plucked the last two games and sealed the opener with a breadstick. She dusted away one out of two breakpoints
she came across and capitalised on three out of eight break chances to inch towards her goal.
Ranked 178th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Cepelova maintained her intensity in the follow-up set and reeled off the opening four games in a row before the Spaniard could hold on. She then held her remaining serves with self-assurance and clicked
the set by winning six games to two. The Slovak blocked the lone breakpoint she faced to keep her entire serves and converted two out of five break chances to her advantage.
Summing up the 19-year-old’s performance, Cepelova produced a higher first serve share of 65 per cent as compared to her rival’s 53 per cent and impressively marked 12 out of 15 points on it.
Next challenge for the Slovak is the tournament’s eighth seed, Johanna Larsson of Sweden, in the opening round.
The qualifying top seed, Dia Evtimova, also qualified for the main draw later that day. She required two hours and six minutes to outshine Croatia’s Ani Mijacika and advance into the first round. The Bulgarian starlet spilled several double faults but clobbered
a better first serve share of 60 per cent as compared to her rival’s 49 per cent. She amazingly blocked 15 out of 22 breakpoints she came across and capitalised on nine out of 14 break opportunities.
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