Maria Sanchez posts resounding win against Anna Tatishvili in final qualies – Rogers Cup 2011
Playing the first match of the second qualifying round of the Rogers Cup 2011 at the Rexall Centre, York University, Toronto, was Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Anna Tatishvili. The Espanola (Sanchez) sent the Georgian (Tatishvili)
reeling back to the lockers by securing an impressive win of 6-4, 6-2 in under 76 minutes of thrilling play.
The two players have taken to the courts twice prior to this event in their professional career and the last time they met was at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami on the hard courts of the Tennis Center at Crandon Park. Sanchez
had won 6-1, 6-4 and lead the head to head at 2-0.
Even though the first set of the match saw Sanchez’s accuracy falter once as she struck a line fault but at the same moment managed to smash an ace.
The 28-year-old Sanchez had won the toss and serving first managed to win 78% of her total service points, which were 14% more than her opponent’s. Her return serve was an average display of rebounding shots that enabled her to
win a mere 36% of her total return points.
Sanchez’s Spanish defence was sturdy and she did not allow a single break point opportunity to her opponent instead broke her adversary once, whereas, the Georgian’s defence had failed her as she was not able to save the only break
point on serve.
Tatishvili had a strong serve which won her a commendable 64% of her total service points but her return was an appalling 22% in the set and thus, lost a majority of her points, costing her the set.
Amidst the second set the 28-year-old Espanola perfected her serve and struck zero double faults while her opponent with wobbly hands had struck a net ball.
The world number 38 Sanchez threw two aces and her ground strokes won her 16 out of 25 service points, making it a praiseworthy 64% win against Tatishvili who was struggling with her serve and was barely capable of winning 41%
in the total service points of the second set.
The 28-year old (Sanchez) had a strong back hand which enabled her to win an exceptional 59% of her total return points, which were almost twice as her challenger's.
Although, the Spaniard allowed a single break point to the 21-year old Georgian (Tatishvili), she was still competent enough to convert three of the five break points to her advantage. While, Tatishvili was only able to save two
out of the five break points on her serve.
The world number 38, Sanchez triumphed with almost double the points as her opponent’s which amounted to twenty points more than her Georgian opponent in the second set. The Spaniard now makes it to the main draw where she will
play fourteenth seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
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