Maria Sanchez outlasts Alexandra Mueller in the second qualifier – Challenge Bell 2012
World number 186, Maria Sanchez of USA, showed superb fighting quality to beat her countrywoman, Alexandra Mueller, in the second round of the qualifying draw at the Challenge Bell in Quebec City on Sunday.
Sanchez bounced back after losing the first set to beat her rival in three sets 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2 in two hours and 20 minutes and she is now just one match away from qualifying for the main draw.
Both players made a steady start, as they held their serve in the first six games and levelled the score at 3-3. Sanchez hit a blow to her compatriot in the seventh and consolidated on it to move ahead 5-3. Though, serving for
the set at 5-4, she could not hold and the score was taken to 5-5. The following two games went with serve, evening out the proceedings at 5-5 and forcing a tie-breaker. Mueller was near error free afterwards, as she allowed Sanchez to claim only one point
and captured it 7-6(1).
The 24-year-old hit three aces and one double fault, keeping the first serve percentage at 68 and clinching 23 of the 28 points on them. She could not do well on the second deliveries, as she lost nine of the 13 points on them
but balanced that by grabbing five of the 10 second return points in the opener.
Mueller and Sanchez did not drop their serve in the first five games of the second set, taking the score to 3-2 in favour of the latter. Sanchez broke her countrywoman in the sixth game and capitalised on that advantage to close
it 6-3.
The 22-year-old banged in four aces but also made three double faults in the second set. The American did a brilliant job by saving all the 10 break points she faced and converted one of the two she received.
Third set went with serve in the opening four games to take the score to 2-2. It was all Sanchez show after that, as she struck two times, capturing four in a row to grab it 6-2.
The American contender bombarded five aces but her double faults stayed at three once again. She gave brilliant performance on her first serves, maintaining a percentage of 71 and winning 17 of the 20 points on them in the final
set.
Sanchez will take on the third seed, Jessica Pegula, for a place in the main draw.
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