Oksana Kalashnikova ousts Ksenia Palkina to reach round two – Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge 2012
Georgian contender, Oksana Kalashnikova, made an epic comeback from a set down to outrun the Kyrgyzstani wild card entrant, Ksenia Palkina, in a three-set thriller at the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge 2012 on Monday. She summed up a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory against
the wild card to progress into the second round at this ITF (international Tennis Federation) Women’s Circuit event taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The left-handed Georgian made a drastic entry at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa. However, she went into overdrive mode and eventually carved out the victory in almost two and a half hour. The contestants previously met each other at the Batumi ITF
event five years ago and after registering this success, Kalashnikova maintained her winning record and booked a spot in the round of 16.
The 22-year-old Kyrgyzstani made a strong entry at this outdoor hard court event. After the Georgian plucked her serve in the fourth game, Kalashnikova unleashed her skills and wiped out the last four games. She blocked the only breakpoint she came across
and capitalised on two out of five break chances to clobber a 6-2 success.
Ranked 451st in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Kalashnikova made a stunning reply in the following set. She fired powerful forehands and went on a six-game tear. The Georgian was never challenged with any breakpoint and
cashed three out of four break chances, ultimately sealing the equaliser with a bagel.
The in-form Georgian kept momentum rolling in the deciding set which counted the most. She got the coveted break early in the set and jumped to a 3-1 lead. Kalashnikova held her remaining serves and marked another break chance in the end, subsequently clinching
the decider with a 6-2 score line.
Kalashnikova will next face the winner of the match between eighth seeded Kimiko Date-Krumm and the Latvian challenger, Anastasija Sevastova.
The Czech blooming star, Karolina Pliskova, will join Kalashnikova in the following round. She stunned fourth seeded Jan3a Cepelova in straight sets to progress. Pliskova lost her serve once but broke her rival’s serve three times, eventually sealing the
deal with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
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