Monica Niculescu overcomes Jarmila Gajdosova in the first round – Open GDF Suez 2012
World number 32, Monica Niculescu of Romania, came back strongly after losing the second set and defeated Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, in the first round at the Open GDF Suez in Paris, France
on Wednesday. The match lasted for two hours and 26 minutes.
The opening set was a pretty one-sided affair, as Niculescu broke the Australian in the fourth game and held her serve in the next game to bag a 4-1 lead. The Romanian broke Gajdosova again in the sixth game and served out
of the set at 5-1. The 24-year-old sealed 12 of the 15 first service points and four of the 11 first return points in the first set. Right-handed Niculescu converted two of the five break points she received and did not face any break point on her own serve
in the opening set.
Gajdosova fought back after losing a one-sided first set. The Australian broke Niculescu in the second game and capitalised on it, grabbing a 3-0 lead. Niculescu broke back in the seventh game but could not win her own serve
in the next game, taking the score to 3-5. The Romanian broke her opponent again in the ninth game but once more she was unable to hold her serve in the next game, dropping the set 4-6. Gajdosova troubled her opponent with her powerful returns, winning an
incredible 14 of the 26 first return points and seven of the 10 second return points in the second set.
The third set saw a fierce battle between these players for the opening game. After seven deuces, Niculescu managed to break her opponent to take a 1-0 lead. However, Gajdosova immediately broke back to tie the score at 1-1.
Niculescu broke the Australian again in the third game and this time she held her next service game to go ahead 3-1. The Romanian managed to break her opponent once more in the seventh game but dropped her next service game to take the score to 5-3. After
losing one more game, Niculescu served out the set in the tenth game, claiming it 6-4. The Bucharest, Romania resident converted three of the 12 break points she got in the final set.
Niculescu will face Angelique Kerber of Germany in the round of 16. Ranked 27thin the world, Kerber beat world number 28 Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(3) in the first round.
This will be the third meeting between Niculescu and Kerber. Their head-to-head record is tied at 1-1.
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