Kimiko Date-Krumm, Flavia Pennetta win in their opening matches – UNICEF Open 2011
Japanese tennis-pro Kimiko Date-Krumm ousted former top 20 player Maria Kirilenko 7-6 (5), 6-2 to book a place in the second round of 2011 UNICEF Open here in Hertogenbosch. Krumm took the tight opening set in a tie-breaker though
the second set proved to be piece of cake for her as she completed her straight sets victory in one hour and 43 minutes.
The 40-year-old veteran from Japan started off very brightly. Breaking her opponent’s serve in the very first game of the match, she put her opponent under extreme pressure. Kirilenko showed great fighting spirit and determination
to break back and force the set into a tie-breaker. Showing no symptoms of tiredness, Krumm got the better of the Russian in the tie-breaker to take the set score lead 1-0.
Not allowing Kirilenko to breath, Krumm looked in a hurry in the second set. Dashing her admirable forehand and backhand shots, she broke the serve twice to earn an impassable lead in the set. Clinching three straight points of
her opponent’s serve, she set up three match points for her and then converted the second one to ensure her second round berth at the US $ 220,000 tournament.
Hitting an impressive 66 percent first serve in the match, Krum served with control and accuracy. Making the most of the opportunities, she converted five out eight break points during the contest. A 50 percent share of points
in the serve return department ensured her strong grip over the contest.
Kirilenko’s poor shot selection and ordinary game plan execution lead to her downfall. She managed to convert only three out ten break chances, which played a big role in deciding the outcome of the clash. A large number of unforced
errors combined with seven costly double faults did not help the cause either as she had to dig in deep to find an entry back into the match. The Russian was extremely disappointed with her effort and aimed to make a strong come back at the Wimbledon tournament.
Meanwhile number four seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy eased past Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-4, 6-4 to move ahead at the Women’s Tennis Association tournament.
Ranked 21st in the world, Pennetta made a bright start to the match. Looking to attack Bondarenko, she fired five blistering serve aces to claim vital points. Breaking the serve at regular intervals, she made her opponent’s
strategy look completely ineffective. Bondarenko lacked the firepower in certain areas of the game as she was unable to convert the chances that came to her. Playing in a lovely drop shot, Pennetta ended the match in style.
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