Polona Hercog advances at Whirlpool Monterrey Open with a comeback win over Olga Govortsova
8th seeded Slovenian Polona Hercog bounced back for a three set win over world number 85, Olga Govortsova to advance to the semis at Whirlpool Abierto Monterrey Open on Friday.
Meeting for the first time, both players hunger for the first win was displayed in this match. Ranked 62nd in the world, Hercog seemed nervous at the beginning of the opening set. Despite having an equal first serve
percentage, the Slovenian committed three double faults and scored lesser points on her first serves, eventually losing it 4-6.
The Belarusian, Govortsova, who exited in the first rounds at Brisbane, Australian Open, Memphis and Acapulco earlier this season, raised her hopes high in this tournament after winning this first set. Though she ended her quarter-finals
drought by reaching this spot, her dreams were destroyed as she moved further in this match.
Hercog re-formed herself and with a help of a single break of serve, she clinched the equalizer set 6-3. The Slovenian also shared the same fate as she was ousted in the early rounds of Sydney, Bogota, Acapulco and Australian Open
but in this tournament she overpowered German Angelique Kerber and Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova spectacularly in the first two rounds. Hercog fired 2 aces and scored a much higher first serve percentage of 70 percent as compared to Belarusian’s 50 percent.
She also registered an impressive 76 percent win on it.
In the final set, Hercog kept her winning ways and succeeded by breaking Govortsova’s serve twice to win with a score line of 6-3 again. Despite committing more unforced errors than the Belarusian, Hercog saved two break points
and converted two opportunities to her advantage. She also had a much better first serve percentage and earned an exceptional 76 percent on it.
She will next face top seeded Serb, Jelena Jankovic. She reached this spot after dumping Latvian Anastasija Sevastova out of the tournament with a breadstick.
"We speak similar languages and I know her really well, but I've never played her," Serbia's Jankovic said of Slovenia's Hercog. "We always talk in the locker room. It's going to be interesting."
In another court, unseeded Argentinean Gisela Dulko also advanced to the semis with a bagel. She overwhelmed Russian Ksenia Pervak in straight sets.
Both players committed several unforced errors and had an equal first serve percentage but the Argentinean clinched the match with an amazing 78 percent win on it. She also broke her opponent’s serve 7 times getting broken only
once and earned considerable amount of return points.
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