Michaella Krajicek overcomes Alexandra Cadantu in the opening round – Abierto Mexicano Telcel 2012
Dutch starlet Michaella Krajicek required three sets to outsmart the Romanian contender, Alexandra Cadantu, at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel 2012 on Tuesday. She summed up a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 score line against the 21-year-old to advance into the second round
at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International event taking place in Acapulco, Mexico.
Krajicek held her nerves throughout the match to tumble over the Romanian in a three set thriller at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess. Meeting each other for the second time, Krajicek not only took revenge for her loss in Olomouc but also secured a spot in
the round of 16.
The 23-year-old confidently entered the Mexican clay courts and after exchanging a serve break, she levelled the scores at 5-5. Krajicek then got the breakthrough in the end and bagged the opener by winning seven games to five. She sought 12 break opportunities
and cashed in two of them to earn the spotlight.
Ranked 82nd in the WTA Premier Rankings, Cadantu re-structured her strategy in the following set. The Romanian blocked both breakpoints she encountered to keep her entire serves. On the other hand, she capitalised on two out of six break opportunities
to register a 6-3 score line, eventually squaring the set scores.
Both challengers clobbered a higher first serve share in the final set but the former world number 30 managed to edge past Cadantu with two breaks of serve. She was never challenged with any breakpoint and converted two out of five break opportunities to
her advantage.
Overall, the Dutch blooming star produced a lower first serve share but took full advantage of the several unforced errors her opponent spilled.
Krajicek will next confront the eighth seed, Alberta Brianti. The Italian made an epic comeback to outmuscle the French rising star, Alize Cornet, in three sets to set-up this date.
Third seeded Sara Errani will join the Dutch in the next round. She crushed the American competitor, Irina Falconi, with double breadsticks in 67-minutes to secure this place. The Italian outclassed Falconi in every department of tennis and took lead in
their head-to-head series by 1-0.
Errani lost her serve once but broke her rival's serve four times to manipluate an assuring 6-1 score line in the opening set.
The higher ranked kept her rhythm in the follow-up set and after capitalising on two out of three break chances, she pocketed the second breadstick.
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