Maria Sanchez surprises Daniela Hantuchova; breezes into 3rd round – Rogers Cup 2011
Spanish qualifier Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez upset a former world number five, Slovak Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets at the Rogers Cup 2011, a WTA Premier event held at the Rexall Centre in Toronto, Canada. The Spaniard registered
a 7-5, 6-2 victory over her 28-year-old fellow to book a third round spot on Wednesday.
The Spanish qualifier displayed exceptional skills to maintain her winning record against world number twenty-one, Hantuchova on the hard courts of this Premier 5 event. She last tumbled over the Slovak at Sydney earlier this season
and after earning this one hour and forty-three minutes success, Sanchez not only booked a third round spot but also extended lead in their head-to-head series by 2-0.
Ranked 38th in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, Sanchez held her opening serve convincingly to level the scores at 1-1. The Spaniard held her remaining serve until she took the first blood in the seventh game
and took lead for the first time. Despite squaring the scores in the tenth game, she broke Hantuchova’s serve again in the eleventh game to eventually clinch the opener by winning seven games to five.
The Spaniard formed a lower first serve share of 50 percent as compared to Hantuchova’s 67 percent but registered a plausible 65 percent win on it. She saved one out of three breakpoints came across but capitalised on three out
of seven breakpoint chances to her advantage.
The Yecla native Sanchez kept rhythm sailing into the final set and got the coveted break in the very first game to take the initial lead. Although she lost her edge in the following game and eventually levelled the scores at 2-2,
the Spaniard went on savage mode and bagged in last four games through backhand slices from her box of tricks.
She clobbered a much better first serve share of 64 percent as opposed to Hantuchova’s 58 percent and registered a brilliant 69 percent win on it. Sanchez saved two out of three breakpoints faced this time around and converted
three out of four breakpoint chances to her advantage to earn a 6-2 success.
The Spaniard will next face the fourth seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.
Azarenka is in awesome form this season and after being a top eight player of this tournament, she received a first round bye. In the second round she swallowed a local wildcard entrant Stephanie Dubois with double bagels to set-up
this clash.
22-year-old clinched titles at Miami and Marbella and made a title round appearance at Madrid. She also made a last four appearance at Wimbledon.
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