Kristina Mladenovic edges past Gabriela Dabrowski into the main draw – Bell Challenge 2012
Seeded second in the draw, Kristina Mladenovic of France defeated Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski in three sets 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the final qualifier of the Challenge Bell in Quebec City, Canada on Monday.
The Frenchwoman did not lose her temper after getting thrashed in the second set and bounced back to close out a hard fought match in two hours and four minutes.
Mladenovic and Dabrowski made a solid start, as they did not give each other many chances to break serve in the first eight games, taking the score to 4-4. The French player managed to make a breakthrough in the ninth one and held her following serve without losing a single point, capturing the opener 6-4.
The 19-year-old could not hit any ace and committed one double fault in the first set. Her performance on first serves was also at satisfactory level, as she kept the percentage at 67 and claimed 17 of the 22 points on them. The teenager evaded the lone break threat she came across and availed one of the three chances she created.
Little lack of concentration from Mladenovic allowed her opponent to bounce back, as she grabbed opening three games of the second set to build a 3-0 lead. Dabrowski struck again in the eighth to clinch it 6-2.
The Canadian pounded four aces and 58 percent of the first deliveries, converting 13 of the 18 of them into points. The 20-year-old fared quite well on the second serves and even better on the returns, as she pocketed eight of the 13 and eight of the 10 points on them respectively. Dabrowski also remained rock solid whenever she faced threats on her serve, saving all the five break points she faced in the second set.
However, the canadian contender was unable to carry the winning momentum into final set, as she lost her opening serve and could not win any point in the second game, going down 0-2. Mladenovic hit another blow in the seventh to go double break up but she lost the subsequent two, seeing her lead reduced to 5-4. Though, the 5ft 11in tall player did lose her second chance and sealed it 6-4.
Mladenovic could maintain a first serve percentage of just 46 but her conversion rate was extraordinarily good, as she secured 10 of the 11 points on them.
The Frenchwoman will meet Madison Brengle of USA in the first round of the main draw.
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