Rebecca Marino defeats Maria Jose Sanchez to advance into the third round – French Open 2011
Canadian tennis-pro Rebecca Marino held on to her nerves as she came back from a set deficit to register victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old required one hour and 47 minutes to overcome the Spaniard and book her place in the third round of prestigious Grand Slam tournament.
Sanchez was the leader in the opening set as she made some stunning moves to surprise her opponent. She served with control and smashed elegant forehand and backhand winners all over the court. Despite struggling to convert her first serve she was able to secure an impressive 91 per cent points on her serve.
In contrast, Marino struggled in that department and managed to claim only half of the points on her service games. The disappointing seventeen unforced errors in the set did not help the cause either as she found herself in a very difficult position in the match. Sanchez broke the serve twice to pocket the opener 6-2.
Looking on course to an easy victory, Sanchez started the second set on a positive note as well and converted a long rally in her favour to bag her first service game. However from there on the tables were turned as Marino staged a phenomenal comeback to even the set score 1-1.
Converting two out of six break points in the set, Marino was able to force the challenger on to the back foot. She played a lovely backhand slice shot to set up a couple of set points for her and then converted the first one with a big forehand winner down the line.
In the final set, Marino capitalized on the psychological advantage she had gained earlier by playing her natural game with confidence. A break of serve early in the set let her take a reasonable game score lead in the set. She broke the serve once more in the set and then held on to her serve game with ease to clinch an emphatic victory and reach the third round of Roland Garros for the first time in her career. Sanchez felt the pressure and leaked few crucial points which played a big part in her defeat.
Ranked 60th in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, Marino is a rising star in the world of tennis. At 2011 Memphis she reached her first WTA final. Although she is yet to lift her first WTA title, she certainly has the capability to survive at the top level. She will be eager to prove her metal here in Paris by reaching the later stages of Majors tournament.
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