Melanie Oudin advances to the second round of 2011 Grand Prix SAR
American tennis pro, Melanie Oudin scored an easy victory over Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain in the second round match at the 2011 Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, ousting the Spanish pro in three sets to reserve
her spot in the third round of the tournament. Lino was sent home with a score line of 6-4, 1-6, 2-6 and the match lasted about two hours and seven minutes.
Turned pro in 2008, Oudin made the most splashing performance of her career at the 2009 U.S Open, where she reached the quarterfinals of the tournament thrashing much skilled players like Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova in straights
sets. She then went on to play Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark but unfortunately the American couldn’t make it past the quarterfinals and lost to the eventual runner-up in straight sets. Due to this achievement at the Grand Slam, she became the second youngest
American tennis player to reach the quarterfinals since Serena Williams in 1999.
Lino, ranked 45th in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) began the match well, taking the first set from the 19-year-old Oudin with a score line of 6-4. The Spanish pro played a remarkable game in the opening set of
the match. Striking from the baseline, based upon proper line and length she broke her opponent’s serves thrice in the first set. The 19-year-old Oudin landed 74 percent of the first serves and managed to convert a meagre 46 percent of points on them. Lino
on the other hand landed with a meagre first serves percentage too but with a help of her defensive shots she gained an impressive 75 percent of points on them and completely blew away her opponent. Lino saved 40 percent of her breakpoint opportunities in
service and 80 percent of them in return and pulled down her opponent completely in the set. Playing a far better game than her opponent, Lino easily clinched the first set with a loss of only two games.
The last two sets observed a huge turnaround in the game. The 19-year-old Oudin was absolutely in full form. With a proper understanding of her opponent’s physical and mental strength, the American pro entered the field and landed
an impressive 70 percent of her first serves. Whereas her opponent Lino, totally went off the deep end and only won a meager 14 percent on her 50 percent first serves. Oudin crafted three of four breakpoints in return and clinched the second set with a breadstick,
settling their lead on even terms.
The 19-year-old American won the final set by a narrow margin as her opponent was just lagging behind with difference of only two percent on their first serves accuracy. But banking on her 100 percent breakpoint opportunities she
managed to clinch the match with a 6-2 score in the final set. Oudin will face Polona Hercog of Slovenia in the second round of the tournament. Hercog defeated Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa in the first round to make it to the second spot.
Tags: