Olga Puchkova defeats Ryoko Fuda to advance in the qualies – Budapest Grand Prix 2011
Russia’s Olga Puchkova rallied past Japan’s Ryoko Fuda in a thrilling three set match at POLI-FARBE Budapest Grand Prix 2011, a clay court tournament held in Hungary. She registered a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over the 24-year-old
Japanese to advance into the final round of qualifiers on Sunday.
Ranked 292nd in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, Puchkova downed the Japanese, ranked 17 places below her, in two hours and fourteen minutes to keep on track to enter the main draw of this event. She trashed Fuda
with a breadstick in US Open in 2006 and now facing each other after five years, Puchkova kept her winning ways to keep her record perfect against the Japanese.
The Japanese, who had a terrible ongoing season but raised her form last month by making a semi-final berth at Balikpapan ITF, confidently entered the court and made quick in-roads. She produced a similar first serve share of 68
percent but registered an impressive 74 percent win on it. Fuda saved four out of five breakpoints faced and converted two out of seven breakpoint opportunities to her advantage to seal the opener with a 6-3 score line.
The Moscow native turned the tables 180 degrees around in the second set. Despite clobbering three double faults and a lower first serve share of 66 percent as compared to Fuda’s 86 percent, she converted all three breakpoint opportunities
to her advantage to clinch the equaliser with a 6-4 win. She also earned a convincing 56 percent win on her first serve share and saved four out of six breakpoints conceded.
23-year-old Russian carried her winning ways into the final set as she again clobbered a lower first serve share and double faulted three times. She also failed to save both breakpoints conceded but converted three out of five
breakpoint chances to her advantage to bag the decider with a 6-3 win.
A former world number thirty-two, Puchkova who was at her peak in 2007, seems to re-create her magic in this first WTA event she entered this year. She triumphed title at Minsk ITF after defeating Ukrainian Nadiya Kichenok in straight
sets and reached last eight at Surprise and Karuizawa ITF events before arriving at Hungary. The higher ranked made a stunning entry at this clay court event after upsetting qualifier’s top seeded Ukrainian Mariya Koryttseva in a three setter match to reach
this spot.
Up next for the Russian is fifth seeded Serb Aleksandra Krunic who made a comeback victory against her countrywoman, Teodora Mircic. The Serb broke Krunic’s serve eight times to win with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 score line in two hours
and ten minutes.
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