Marina Erakovic surprises Irina Falconi to reach the quarters – Bell Challenge 2011
New Zealander Marina Erakovic required three sets to upset seventh seeded American Irina Falconi in the second round of the Bell Challenge 2011, a WTA International event held on the indoor hard courts in Quebec, Canada. She registered
a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 success over the 21-year-old Falconi to book a last eight spot on Thursday.
Ranked 85th in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, Erakovic overpowered the American, ranked eleven places above her, in a troublesome three setter match in almost two hours. Facing each other for the first time,
the Kiwi star not only secured a quarter-final spot but also took lead in the head-to-head series by 1-0 against Falconi.
The Croat native, Erakovic made early into the roads after getting the first blood to take a 3-1 lead. Despite losing her edge in the proceeding game, she broke the American’s serve again in the sixth game and held her remaining
serves to win the set with a 6-3 score line.
The seeded American made a fitting reply in the second set. She got the coveted break early on in the fourth game and later kept the New Zealander from keeping her remaining serves. Regardless of losing his serve in the fifth game,
she capitalised on half of the six breakpoint opportunities to her advantage to seal the equaliser with a 6-2 win.
23-year-old Erakovic carved her way back in the game in the final set. After the American held her serve in the first game, she went berserk and bombarded massive groundstrokes to reel off next five games in a row before Falconi
could hold on again. The Kiwi star then held her serve for the last time in the eighth game to win the decider with a 6-2 victory.
Up next for the New Zealander is the top seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova. The highest ranked player of the tournament, Hantuchova bounced from a set down to win against Hungarian Melinda Czink by a 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3 success in
two hours and thirty-six minutes. 28-year-old Slovak saved five out of nine breakpoints faced and converted seven out of nineteen breakpoint chances to her advantage.
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