Petrova/Murray battle past Makarova/Soares into the mixed doubles semi-final – French Open 2011
Russian/British team of Nadia Petrova and Jamie Murray fought back after losing the first set to defeat Russian/Brazilian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Bruno Soares in three sets 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 in the quarterfinals of the mixed
doubles event at French Open in Paris on Tuesday. The match lasted for an hour and nineteen minutes.
The opening set went with serve in the first ten games to level the score and 5-5, taking it to a tie-break. Makarova and Soares broke the Russian/British pair in the eleventh game and succeeded in serving out the set in the next
game, clinching it 7-5.
The Russian/Brazilian team served quite well as they fired 73 percent of the first serves and won 75 percent of the points on them in the first set. On the other hand, Petrova and Murray kept their first serve percentage at 74
percent, winning 73 percent of the points on them. The Russian/British team committed a couple of double faults and converted 26 percent of the returns into points in the first set. Makarova and Soares kept attacking their opponents’ serve as they grabbed
40 percent of the receiving points. The unseeded team converted one of the two break points they received and saved the only break point they faced in the first set.
After losing a tight opening set, Petrova and Murray came back roaring as they broke Makarova and Soares in the fourth game and consolidated on it to race to a 4-1 lead. The Russian/British team served out the set at 5-3.
Petrova and Murray fired two aces and 70 percent of the first deliveries in the second set, winning 74 percent of the points on them. In comparison, Makarova and Soares had a first serve percentage of 76 percent and bagged 50 percent
of the points on them. Petrova and Murray troubled their opponents with their accurate returns of serve, converting 43 percent of the returns into points in the second set. The Russian/British pair capitalized on the only break point opportunity they received
and saved the one break point they faced in the second set.
Petrova and Murray clinched two mini-breaks in the match tie-break and consolidated on them to win it 10-7.
The only difference between the two teams was their serve in the match tie-break. The Russian/British team hit 100 percent of the first serves and converted half of them into points. While, Makarova and Soares managed to deliver
just 22 percent of the first serves and failed to capture any point on them in the match tie-break. Petrova and Murray won 67 percent of the receiving points in the match tie-break.
The Russian/British team will meet top seeded, Slovakian/Serbian pair of Katarina Srebotnik and Nenad Zimonjic in the semi-finals.
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