Lucie Hradecka surprises Daniela Hantuchova in opening round – Luxembourg Open 2011
Czech lucky loser Lucie Hradecka shocked everyone after upsetting eight seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova in a three setter nail biter match at the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open 2011, a final WTA tour event taking place on the
indoor hard courts in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. She bounced back to register a 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-1 victory over the 28-year-old Slovak to secure a second round spot on Tuesday.
Ranked 51st in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, Hradecka lost the opener but made an epic comeback to earn this tier-III success by handing a breadstick to the Slovak, ranked twenty-six spots above her. After
earning success in this two hours and twenty-seven minutes long match, the Czech not only avenged her loss in this event two years ago but also levelled the head-to-head series by 1-1 against Hantuchova.
Both blooming starlets played their best tennis in the opening set and after displaying awe-inspiring skills, they held their entire serves.
Hradecka wiped out four breakpoints faced to keep her entire serves with exquisite forehands.
The Slovak on the other hand quickly bagged in the opening serve in the first game and after defending the only breakpoint came across, she plucked in entire serves. She founded four breakpoint opportunities but failed to convert
any to her advantage.
The set went to a tie-breaker where the seed outclass the Czech completely and eventually clinched the opener with a 7-6(3) score line.
Both stars kept their momentum in the second set and held their respective serves until the last game of the second set. 26-year-old Czech finally succeeded to convert a breakpoint chance to her advantage in the last game and sealed
the equaliser by winning seven games to five. She faced zero breakpoint and capitalised on one out of four breakpoint opportunities to her advantage.
After Hantuchova held her opening serve in the second game of the decider, she stepped off gas. The high spirited Czech on the contrary took full advantage of it and went on a five games tear to earn a breadstick. She fended off
both breakpoints faced and cashed in on half of the four breakpoint chances to her advantage.
"Whenever I had a chance, Lucie put in a huge first serve," said the unhappy Hantuchova. "She has a big game and the indoor conditions suit her, so I felt like I was doing well just holding my serves because she had the confidence
to keep me under pressure. The first two sets could have gone either way, but in the third set I got a little frustrated. She was just the better player."
Hradecka on the other hand will advance to face the Romanian qualifier Alexandra Cadantu who crushed Belarusian Anastasiya Yakimova with a breadstick to reach this spot.
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