Marion Bartoli subdues Christina McHale in 2nd round – China Open 2011
Eighth seeded French Marion Bartoli overpowered the American underdog Christina McHale in the second round of the China Open 2011. The girls battled it out on the outdoor hard courts of the National Tennis Center in Beijing, China.
Eighth seeded Bartoli won in straight sets of 6-2, 6-1 against American teenager McHale.
The American teenager decided to serve first for the opening round as she had just won the service toss. Both the players were able to hold serve in the first four games and placed themselves on the scoreboard at 2-2. After continuously
winning on their own serves, for the past four games, a change of event took place in the during the fifth game, as McHale served, she double faulted on her second serve and gifted a game to Bartoli.
Mean while, Bartoli capitalized from the breakpoint and as she held serve in the sixth game, she was leading the scoreboard with 4-2. She further increased the lead to 5-2 as Bartoli pounced at the first opportunity to break her
opponent. The Frenchwomen was now only a game away from bagging the first set. As she smashed four successive aces, she accomplished the opening set with a deftly 6-2 victory.
Opting to serve for the second set was again McHale, and this time she got off to an awful start as she was unable to win on her first serve and ended up throwing away a game to Bartoli. On the other hand, the Frenchwomen not only
received a game but as she successfully held her serve in the second game, the scoreboard rolled at 2-0.
Bartoli again repeated the feat, break-serve and in doing so she further increased the gap to 4-0, she was now two breaks and four games up against McHale, who still had not won a single game. By the end of the fifth game the scoreboard
only saw Bartoli as she had capitalized on her third breakpoint and had now practically secured her lead of 5-0. An unexpected turn took place when McHale finally capitalized on a breakpoint and won her first game.
Even though, it seemed like a handout from Bartoli, McHale was able to reduce the deficit to 1-5. Eighth seeded Bartoli was not going to let her opponent start a goose chase and eventually got rid of McHale in the seventh game
by breaking her for the last time to seal a breadstick match victory.
World number 10 Bartoli was able to secure a berth in the third round of the China Open where she will be facing ninth seeded German Andrea Petkovic.
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