Maria Kirilenko ousts Samantha Stosur in 2nd round – Toray Pan Pacific Open 2011
US Open Champion Samantha Stosur came crashing back down to earth at the Toray Pan Pacific 2011 second round against world number 27 Maria Kirilenko. On the 27th of September, Tuesday the players had battled it out
on outdoor hard courts of the Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan. The unseeded Kirilenko won the match by surviving a mid match lapse to secure a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 against the number six seeded Stosur in two hours and fourteen minutes.
Opting to serve first was Stosur after winning the toss and both the players were able to successfully able to place themselves on the score board at 1-1. Chasing right behind Stosur was Kirilenko and the two matched a blow for
a blow in the first games to reel off a 2-2 score.
The first to capitalize on a break was the unseeded Russian Kirilenko in the fifth game; she then went on to holding her serve in the following game to lead with a mini break at 4-2. Kirilenko was on a roll when she again broke
Stosur to secure her lead of 5-2 and finally by smashing a backhand crosscourt shot, she hacked away the opening set while restricting her adversary to only two games.
Although, Kirilenko had smashed no aces, she had minimized her double faults and played with an unfaltering confidence.
Opening the second serve was again Stosur and the game progressed on even terms, matching a toe for a toe the players rounded the score at 3-3 during the first six games. During the following two games the score again tied at 4-4
but this time the players broke each other back-to-back, not letting the other gain an upper hand. However, during the last two games Stosur got the better of Kirilenko as she was able to hold serve for the ninth game and then broke Kirilenko in the tenth
to secure a 6-4 victory against the Russian.
By the end of the second set, the players each had bagged a set and serving for the third set was again Stosur. The players were able to win on their respective serves for the initial four games to balance the score at 2-2. During
the fifth game Stosur was broken by Kirilenko and as she capitalized with the fortunate break, she then went on to holding her serve in the sixth to lead with 4-3.
Nevertheless, Stosur was not going to go out without a fight and she managed to bring the scoreboard to even terms by holding her serve and breaking Kirilenko in the seventh and eighth game. A slip from Stosur was all that Kirilenko
was looking for and fortunately for her, she found that chance in t he very next game and as Stosur double faulted, she gave the match Kirilenko.
Finally avenging her loss of the US Open 2011, Maria Kirilenko not only ousted the sixth seeded Stosur but also secured a place in the third round of the event.
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