Karin Knapp wobbles Maria Kirilenko in the second round – Estoril Open 2012
Italian tennis professional, Karin Knapp, completed the hat-trick of upsets on Wednesday in the second round of the Estoril Open. She defeated the second seed Russian, Maria Kirilenko in a gruelling three-setter, 1-6, 6-1, 7-5,
to reach the quarter-finals.
Both players kept on battling it out at the clay courts of Portugal for two hours and 32 minutes. It was very difficult for them to stay focused but the stakes of going through to the quarter-finals kept their heads high.
Kirilenko started off extremely well; winning the first breakpoints in the fourth game and repeating a similar performance in the game after to register a resounding lead of 5-1. It was such a start that lifted the morale of the
second seeded Russian, helping her open up a bit and play her natural game.
The tables were turned upon her in the second set. Both contestants swapped breakpoints at the start before the Russian was pounded on in the second and third serve game to dismantle her confidence. Knapp was cruising along with
a lead of 5-1 and held her serve in the final game to reply in the most resonant manner.
Stage was set for a final clash. No one ever thought that the Italian will last this long in the contest but she was there and was on equal terms with her competitor. After saving a couple of breakpoints in the opening game, she
pounced on her opponent in the following game and swirled the pressure on her; winning a breakpoint and registering a lead of 2-0. She bagged another serve game with ease and built upon that lead.
Kirilenko witnessed herself sinking down to a trail of 1-5 courtesy to another poor serve game. However, she kept the set alive by winning a break back in the following game and turned the tables on her opponent in the ninth game
with another breakthrough that took the scores to 4-5. She held her serve to level the scores at 5-5.
The crowd was on their feet applauding the majestic comeback from the Russian but the job was still undone. The fear of losing a breakpoint after such a grandiose turnaround was turned to reality by Knapp who swirled the pressure
back on the Russian.
A tight serve hold for the Italian knocked out the third seeded player of the day and booked a date between Knapp and Galina Voskoboeva for the spot in the last four.
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