Michelle Larcher De Brito outfoxes Mirjana Lucic in opening round – Citi Open 2012
Portuguese qualifier, Michelle Larcher De Brito, battled past the Croatian star, Mirjana Lucic, in a three-set thriller at the Citi Open 2012 on Sunday. She nudged up a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory against the German-born Lucic to labour into the second round at
this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International-level tournament taking place in Washington D.C, United States.
Larcher De Brito withstood 13 aces to triumph over the 30-year-old Croat in their first encounter. After earning the limelight in one and a half hour battle, the qualifier confidently progressed into the second round at this outdoor hard court tournament.
"She started picking up her game in the second set, and I kind of slowed down a little bit," Larcher de Brito stated after winning this match. "Then we had that 10-minute break and I managed to regain my composure, cool down a little bit and stay strong
in the third. I'm used to the heat because I live in Florida. My first serve for some reason didn't want to work today. If I want to keep advancing, I have to stay strong on my second serve."
The 19-year-old made quick in-roads at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center. She broke her rival’s serve twice and jumped to a 5-1 lead. Apart from wasting her chance of serving out the opening set with a breadstick, Larcher De Brito plucked her serve
once more and clicked the opener with a 6-3 win.
Lucic re-focused in the follow-up set and got back in action. She earned the critical break in the fourth game and leaped to a 4-1 lead. The Croat held her remaining serves with poise and sealed the equalizer by winning six games to two.
Ranked 133rd in the WTA Premier Rankings, Larcher De Brito re-gained her strength in the final set which matter the most. After Lucic held her serve in the second game, the Portuguese unleashed her true form and went on a five-game tear, subsequently
pulling out the decider a breadstick.
Next challenge for the Portuguese is the conqueror of the match between third seeded Sloane Stephens and Kazakhstan’s Sesil Karatantcheva.
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