Laura Robson outplays Johanna Larsson to qualify for the main round – China Open 2012
World number 57, Laura Robson, overpowered the 84th ranked Swede, Johanna Larsson, after an emphatic battle that lasted the full length of the match. In the final qualifier of the China Open at Beijing, the 18-year-old
Briton lost the opening set 4-6 but bounced back dramatically to register the victory in the following two with the scores of 6-2, 6-1.
The left-handed Robson was seeded fourth in the draws so she was expected to make it into the main round of the tournament. However, the situation at the end of the opening set didn’t look good and Larsson was on course to clasp
the triumph.
The 24-year-old Swede broke serve in the third game of the match to take a lead of 2-1. She repeated the same behaviour in the seventh game to make it 5-2 in her favour. It was a terrible start for the British player who was under
the cosh and had to break serve twice on the trot without losing a breakpoint to equalize the scores. She did that once but could just win a single point in the final game of the opening set that wasn’t good enough.
Robson regrouped during the break between the sets. She came back as a strong player and broke serve quickly to make it 3-1 in her favour. She held her serve and so did her rival that pushed the scores to 4-2. Larsson wasn’t comfortable
with her serves and that led to her downfall. She made several mistakes in the eighth game of the second set that allowed the number one Briton to clinch four points on the trot and more importantly keep her hopes alive for reaching the first round.
Larsson lost a breakpoint in the fourth game of the final set and then again in the sixth to sink 1-5 down. It was just a matter of time before the British player grabbed the final game of the match to confirm her place in the
final 64 of the tournament. The draws are not yet updated so the first round opponent is still to be unleashed by the officials of the China Open.
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