Petra Martic downs Sofia Shapatava to reach the second round – NURNBERGER Gastein Ladies 2011
Croat tennis-pro Petra Martic made a sensational come back to take down Sofia Shapatava of Georgia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Tuesday to book her place in the second round of 2011 NURNBERGER Gastein Ladies in Bad Gastein, Hungary.
Martic made a slow start to the match but she was able to pick her game as the match progressed. Trailing the set score 0-1, she looked down and out in the second set. However, she stayed determined as she clinched the following two sets to make it to the next round of the Women’s Tennis Association tournament.
In pursuit of her first ever WTA title, Martic looked out of sorts as the match started. A number of her forehand and backhand shots landed outside the lines which of course let Shapatava dictate the terms early on. The Georgian qualifier grabbed opportunities with both hands and broke the serve once to take a handsome 5-3 lead in the set. Martic displayed better tennis afterwards but she couldn’t stop her opponent from earning a well deserved set score lead 1-0.
Looking to stay in the match, Martic played the second set on a very competitive note. She wasn’t afraid of coming close to the net to place her drops shots. After both players held on to their first three serve games, the match entered a very gripping phase. Leading 4-3, Martic had her first chance of breaking the serve in the set. Dashing an amazing forehand winner cross court, she earned a crucial 5-3 lead, serving for the match. Wasting no chances, she pocketed her next service game without any problem to shift the balance of the contest.
The 20-year-old continued to play her natural game freely in the final set as well. “The luck favours the brave”, they say. Martic took risks in the match and they paid off big time. Converting about 73 per cent of the points on her first serve, she did a lot of damage with her strong first serve. She also claimed more than 44 per cent of the points at the receiving end showing that she had a rock solid defence.
Martic is having a decent time on the tour this season. With eighteen wins out of thirty two matches on the tour this season, she will be certainly feeling very confident about her game. The Croat will be looking to win her first ever WTA title here in Hungary. However, to realise her dream, she will have to work really hard on her serve. Martic made eleven double faults in the match and managed to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat. However, top seeded players at the tournament will not let her get away with her errors.
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