Lesia Tsurenko outshines Kristina Mladenovic
in 2nd round – Slovak Open 2011
Top seeded Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko outplayed Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic in the second round of the Slovak Open 2011.
On Thursday the 17th of November, at the Národné Tenisové Centrum in Bratislava, Slovakia, both players confronted each other on indoor hard courts and after one hour and thirty four minutes the top seeded Ukrainian
overpowered the unseeded Frenchwoman in straight sets of 6-4, 6-3.
Mladenovic was first to open the set and both the player held their respective serves to ease themselves on the scoreboard at 1-1. The Frenchwoman then scooped two successive games against her adversary with a hold of serve and
then by capitalizing on a breakpoint.
However in a reversal of fate, Tsurenko broke back immediately in the following game and then with a hold of serve completely mitigated the deficit to tie the score at three games each by the end of the sixth game. As the two once
more matched a blow for a blow the score tied at four games each at the end of the eighth game.
During the ninth game Mladenovic came under pressure and her forehand went haywire. Mean while, Tsurenko capitalized on the break and then held her serve for the last time to bag the opening set with a 6-4 victory.
The top seed took a few notches higher in her service game during the second set. She not only had a strong service game but also an above average return game that assisted her in achieving a walloping sixty two percent of her
total return points.
Inaugurating the second round of the match once again Mladenovic and this time she was unable to hold her service game. On the contrary, with a geometric precision the top seeded Ukrainian bagged two successive games and took a
mini lead of 2-0.
However in the next two games, the Frenchwoman made a return with a hold of serve in the third game and then by breaking back in the fourth to tie the score at two games each. Subsequently, in the following two games the players
traded in breaks and the score once more levelled at three games each at the end of the sixth game.
Tsurenko was tired of the goose chase and utilized the break-serve-break method to reel off three consecutive games. In doing so, she was able to clog the set and the match.
The top seeded Ukrainian was able to bank a spot in the quarterfinal of the event where she will be facing seventh seeded Israeli Julia Glushko.
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