Kurumi Nara ousts Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in the opening round – Malaysian Open 2012
Japanese booming starlet, Kurumi Nara, advanced to the second round of the BMW Malaysian Open tournament on Monday having defeated the Thai age-fellow, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. The battle between the
two youngsters lasted for an hour and 20 minutes.
Nara hit a cracking ace to open her account in the Kuala Lumpur; registered a successful serve hold following her opponent with scores ticking over to 1-1. She broke serve in the following game; exerting immense pressure on her
rival right from the start. The breakpoint proved pivotal as there were no more breakthroughs witnessed throughout the set.
The Japanese tennis professional was under the cosh in the sixth game and almost lost a breakpoint to her opponent before she bounced back; saved a couple of breakpoints on the trot to register a tight serve hold.
It was a topsy turvy start to the second set with both players swapping breakpoints upfront. The successful serve holds at either ends further pushed the scores to 2-2. Suddenly, a flurry of breakpoints were witnessed at the arena
with Nara gobbling up a couple of them compared to just one of her opponent and leading the scores 4-3. She successful held her serve to enhance the lead to 5-3.
Lertcheewakarn faced a ‘do or die’ situation; she had to hold her serve to stay in the match but committed a couple of double-faults on trot that gifted away the game to her opponent. Nara won 64 points in total that translates
into an impressive 56 per cent total points winning rate. She smashed the only ace of the match and committed just one double-fault compared to five of her opponent.
The Thai participant could only convert 57 per cent points on her first serve compared to 71 per cent of her opponent and wasn’t able to save a single breakpoint. Her conversion ratio of breakthroughs was also dismal; registering
just two successful breakpoints from four opportunities whereas her opponent gobbled up all five opportunities allotted to her.
The triumph for the Japanese star puts her into the next round match against the fifth seed Croatian Petra Martic, who ousted the Japanese professional, Erika Sema, in a gruelling three-setter lasting about two and half hours.
Later in the day, the defending champion from Australia, Jelena Dokic, crushed the Kristina Mladenovic to begin her title defence in an emphatic fashion. She looks in good touch and probably one of the strongest contenders for
the title.
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