Monica Niculescu thumps Daniela Hantuchova in the semi-final – Luxembourg Open 2012
World number 70, Monica Niculescu, continued to impress at the hard courts of Luxembourg in the semi-final of the contest. She took away the 38th ranked Slovak star, Daniela Hantuchova, who wasn’t able to devise a plan
to counter the unorthodox style of the 25-year-old Romanian. She lost the match in straight sets 1-6, 3-6; lasting just 67 minutes in the clash.
Niculescu commented after the match, “Daniela was hitting the ball so fast and so strong, but today I felt like I was in my zone. I started very solid, playing very intense on every point and doing what I had to do from the beginning.
I played unbelievable."
Gutted from the loss, Hantuchova said, “My opponent made it difficult today - she plays a very awkward game and I felt I didn't deal with it very well. Not too many players slice their forehand like she does. You feel like you
want to hit winners on every single shot but you can't, because if you rush you'll hit every single shot into the fence. I just couldn't find the answers.”
The 29-year-old Slovak couldn’t win a single point on her opening serve and went down to a trail of 0-2 courtesy to some consistent slicing from her rival. The Slovak managed just not a single successful point in the first two
games of the match that sent an early scare for the superior ranked athlete.
Moreover, the Romanian clinched another breakthrough in the fifth game and powered down her rival to a trail of 1-5 with a serve hold. Hantuchova failed to handle the awkward style of play of her foe and lost another breakthrough
that closed down the opening set.
Niculescu started the second set in dismal fashion. She lost the opening serve game and went down to a trail of 0-2. It was the most wanted beginning for the Slovak but Hantuchova couldn’t make good use of it. She lost two breakpoints
in the rest of the proceedings and lost the second set despite an early breakthrough.
Venus Williams and Monica Niculescu go head-to-head for the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open title.
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