Mandy Minella outclasses Alexandra Panova to reach round two – Fes WTA 2012
Luxembourgian star, Mandy Minella, stomped over the Russian challenger, Alexandra Panova, in straight sets at the Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem 2012 on Monday. She joggled up a 6-3, 7-6(10) victory against the world number 79 to charge into
the second round at the Royal Tennis Club de Fes in Morocco.
Minella showed brilliant tennis at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International-level tournament. After earning this two hours and five-minute success, the Luxembourgian not only avenged her loss at the Bogota WTA event earlier this year but also
levelled the head-to-head series by 1-1 against Panova.
The 26-year-old stormed into this clay court event and swiped in the opening four games in a row before Minella could hold on. In spite of losing her edge in the eighth game, the Luxembourgian broke her Russian rival’s serve once more and sealed the opener
by winning six games to three.
Ranked 91st in the WTA Premier Rankings, Minella lost her track in the following set and suffered the first blow in the fifth game to trail at 2-3. However, she made a fitting reply after that and stroke out the proceeding three games in a row
with two breaks of serve. Despite losing her edge in the ninth game, the Luxembourgian dragged the set to the tie-breaker where she prevailed to clinch the set with a 7-6(10) score line.
All in all, Minella clobbered a slightly higher first serve share of 62 per cent as opposed to her opponent’s 61 per cent but tremendously availed 28 out of 46 points on it. The Luxembourgian also brushed off five out of eight breakpoints she faced and cashed
in five out of 11 break chances to rule the match.
Up next for Minella is the top seeded wild card entrant, Anabel Medina Garrigues, who eased past Russia’s Nina Bratchikova in straight sets to set-up this date.
The fourth seed, Yanina Wickmayer, faced a bitter fate later that day. She was crashed out by the Austrian underdog, Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, in one hour and 19 minutes. The Belgian broke her rival’s serve twice but was broken down five times, subsequently
suffering a 4-6, 2-6 loss.
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