Mona Barthel cruises past Barbora Zahlavova Strycova into the second round – Open GDF Suez 2010
German qualifier Mona Barthel, dismissed world number 53 Barbora Zahlavova Strycov of Czech Republic in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 in the first round at the Open GDF Suez in Paris on Tuesday. Ranked at 43 in the world, Barthel
took only one hour and thirteen minutes to undo her opponent in a one-sided match.
Strycova was the first to take lead when she broke Barthel in the third game but the Czech couldn’t consolidate on the break of serve, getting broken in the very next game and squaring off the score at 2-2. Barthel broke
Strycova in the eighth game and served out the set at 5-3.
The German was lucky to win the set despite serving poorly. She committed four double faults and hit a meagre 48 percent of the first serves in the first set. However, Barthel returned very well as she grabbed eleven of the
21 first return points and four of the eight second return points. The 21-year-old failed to save the only break point she faced but the German managed to convert two of the seven break points she received in the opening set.
Unlike the first set, it was Barthel who drew the first blood as she broke Zahlavova Strycov in the third game to go ahead 2-1. The Czech broke back in the fourth game and tied the score at 2-2. After that, there was no stoppage
for Barthel and she captured four games in a row, breaking her opponent in the fifth and seventh game to clinch the set 6-2.
The right-handed improved her serve as compared to the first set, committing only a single double fault and hitting 64 percent of the first serves in the second set. The six feet and one inch tall returned tremendously well
and captured 11 of the 15 first return points. The German capitalised on all the three break points she received in the second set.
Barthel improved to 8-3 win-loss record this season. The German has performed quite well in this season so far. She reached the round of 32 at the Australian Open, losing to the eventual champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus
2-6, 4-6. Barthel lost to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium in straight sets 1-6, 2-6 in the final of the Hobart International.
The Neumunster resident, Barthel, is drawn to meet either Pauline Parmentier of France or Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in the second round.
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