Maria Jose Sanchez defeats Klara Zakopalova in semi-final – Hansol Korea Open 2011
Sixth seeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez opened the semi-final of the Hansol Korea Open 2011 while contesting against a lucky unseeded Klara Zakopalova. On the 24th of September 2011 the two players battled it out on
indoor hard courts of the Olympic Tennis Courts in Seoul, South Korea. Espanola Sanchez only required 67 minutes to oust the Czech Zakopalova in straight sets of 6-3, 6-2.
Commencing the opening set, Zakopalova opted to serve first and won on her serve to move the scoreboard at 1-0. However, it was a bad start for the sixth seeded Espanola who ended up losing her first game. With an early break the
Czech seemed to take a comfortable lead of 2-0 but she too fell short in the third game.
Breaking back-to-back in the next two games, Sanchez volleyed to cut the lead to 2-3, and managed to level the score to 3-3 by holding her serve in the sixth game. At such a pivotal stage in the set, the opening set could’ve tilted
either way but Sanchez then went on to availing another two more breakpoints and a serve to win the first set 6-3 and led the match score 1-0.
This time it was Sanchez, who opened up the serve and the scorecard to 1-0, followed by Zakopalova levelling the scores in no time. The two then kept holding serve for the following two games and once again the score tied at 2-2.
Winning on her respective serve in the fifth game, the sixth seeded Espanola broke her rival for the first time and was now leading by a game and a break at 4-2.
Sanchez outran the Czech with much ease as she not only held her serve in the seventh game but eventually won the game point as her opponent had double faulted gifting the Espanola the match and the set.
The number sixth seeded Sanchez had capitalized on six out of the seven break points, smashed two aces, restricted her double faults and unforced errors, and with seventeen more points than her rivals in the total match points,
Sanchez clogged a spot in the final where she will be facing the Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva.
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