Sabina Sharipova topples Vlada Ekshibarova in round one – Tashkent Open 2012
In an all-Uzbek contest, the 18-year-old Sabine Sharipova stamped her authority against the 23-year-old qualifier Vlada Ekshibarova. She won the match in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 and levelled the head-to-head scores to 1-1. An hour
and 29 minutes triumph places the Uzbek teen into the second round of the Tashkent Open.
The qualifier started the match on a high note. She won four of the first points on her opponent’s serve to bag the first breakpoint of the match; didn’t make a mistake on her serve except the one miss hit. She clinched the second
game as well and protected her breakpoint successfully. It was a dismal start to the superior ranked Uzbek teenager who was expected to put up a better show.
Both players capitalized on their serves in the following three games and the qualifier sustained her lead. However, the 368th ranked Uzbek bounce back into the encounter with a breakthrough in the sixth game of the
match. She allowed just one point to her rival and smashed four classy winners. The turnaround helped her revive the confidence and Sharipova started playing her natural game.
Both players won breakpoints in the last three games of the set that helped the 18-year-old Uzbek to march ahead with the lead of one set. It was a classic comeback from the youngster who was thumped on the back foot in the starting
phase of the match. Things were looking bad for her compatriot and she was forced to fight back from a set down.
A swap of breakpoints was witnessed at the beginning of the second set. However, Sharipova did well to hang on to her serve in the following game and clinched the breakpoint after squandering three opportunities in the fourth game.
Both players broke each other’s serve in the following three games as well that helped the 23-year-old Ekshibarova to diminish the trail of breakpoints and a serve hold levelled the scores at 4-4.
No damage was done to anyone in the following four games but the 18-year-old Uzbek stood up to bag four points on her rival’s serve to win the encounter in the 12th game of the set. The fifth seed Alexandra Cadantu is
her most probable next round rival.
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