Petra Kvitova reigns supreme over Mandy Minella in round two – BNP Paribas Katowice Open 2013
World number eight, Petra Kvitova, cemented her position as the strongest contender for the BNP Paribas Katowice Open title in Poland after dispatching the 27-year-old Luxembourgian professional, Mandy Minella, in straight sets
7-5, 6-2 to book a berth in the quarter-final. She registered her second head-to-head victory against the 98th ranked Luxembourgian courtesy to three aces and five timely breakpoints.
Kvitova told the reporters after the match, “I started pretty slowly on the court and she was playing quite well, she didn't have as many mistakes as me. That was the key to get back - just to play at ease and not have as many
mistakes as I had at the beginning. Also just keep my serve and wait for my moment to break her.”
She confessed, “I played her in my first round in Tokyo and I lost. I know how she plays - she plays so fast and very aggressively, and she has a good serve, so I think it will be a very tough match. I hope revenge can come tomorrow.”
Minella started strongly with a comfortable serve hold and piled more pressure on the left-handed Czech star after capturing a breakthrough in the following game. She held her serve to push the scores at 3-0 in her favour.
However, the comeback from the 23-year-old Czech was emphatic enough to earn her a breakthrough in the seventh game which was followed up with a third successive serve hold that helped in equalizing the scores at 4-4.
Both players swapped breakpoints in the following two games before the Czech rounded off the opening set in a flurry; capturing a vital breakthrough and a hard fought serve hold. It was a classic battle between the athletes and
a similar show was expected in the second set but the crowd was left dejected as the second half of the match was completely dominated by the top seed Czech who manoeuvred the ball at her will.
Minella lost the breakthrough in the opening game and never found her footing that could have enabled her to level the scores. Kvitova broke her opponent’s serve again in the seventh game and rounded of the match with a serve hold
to love. She will face Petra Martic in the battle for a spot in the semis.
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