Maria Jose Sanchez runs over Kristyna Pliskova in 2nd round – Hansol Korea Open 2011
Espanola Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ran past Czech Kristyna Pliskova in the second draw of the Hansol Korea Open 2011. On the 22nd of September 2011 the Espanola won in straight sets of 7-6(5), 6-2 victory after battling it out
for one hour and twenty two minutes on the hard courts of Olympic Tennis Courts in Seoul, South Korea,
Sanchez was first to serve, subsequently after winning the pitch but Pliskova was first to break and initiated the score board to 1-0. Pliskova broke back to level the score at 1-1 in the very next game as she did not want Sanchez
to take the lead.
Amidst the following nine games both the players kept winning on alternate serves and volleyed a blow for a blow with each other. Eventually as Pliskova held her service in the twelfth game, she pushed the set into a tie breaker.
The toe-to-toe run between the two lost its steam in the tiebreaker. Despite being an experienced player, Pliskova had a tough time holding the 29 year-old (Sanchez) at bay.
The two players kept the score tied for ten points, matching blow for blow, with neither of the players giving up on their service games. However, an expensive double fault from Pliskova gave Sanchez the mini-break she needed and
she reeled off two straight points to bag the tiebreaker at 7-5.
During the second set, Sanchez got off to an appalling start as she was unable to hold on to her service game in the initial game. However, Pliskova capitalized on the early break and then went on to holding her serve in the second
game to take a mini lead of 2-0.
It finally dawned on Sanchez that she needs to start winning on her service games in the third game and then broke her opponent in the fourth to equalize the score at 2-2. As she again won on her serve in the fifth game, in the
sixth she again broke her adversary and was now two breaks up.
In the last two games, Sanchez not only held her serve but seized the opportunity to break her Czech adversary for the last time to clog the second set and the match.
With this victory Sanchez was able to secure a spot in the quarterfinal of the event where she will be facing the big hitting German Julia Goerges.
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