Sabine Lisicki breezes past Virginie Razzano in the first round – ASB Classic 2012
Top seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany ousted her French opponent, Virginie Razzano, in the first round of the ASB Classic tournament, contested in Auckland, New Zealand. The first encounter between the two players ended with
a straight set triumph for the top seed, as she overpowered her opponent in an hour and 25 minutes with a final score of 6-4, 6-4.
Conventional start to the first set saw both players holding on their maiden serves. Top seed German showed her class in the third game, as she gathered up some momentum and played couple of almost unplayable drop shots.
Agile footwork of the big German was the main reason for her cracking placement in the third game against her sloppy opponent.
Razzano lost the game on her serve and score moved on to 2-1 in her opponent’s favour. Lisicki rounded off the two game lead with couple of aces. Her exciting game play pumped life into the crowd, which started cheering her
on each successful rally. The score board kept ticking over and moved to 4-2 in German’s favour.
Both players exchanged breaks in the following games and two-game lead was kept intact by the German until the end of the first, exerting immense pressure upon her bewildered opponent. Trailing one set down and looking extremely
rusty, Razzano needed to bounce back strongly in the second set which required a massive turnaround in her game.
Razzano started off the proceedings of the second set and held her serve. She broke in the second but Lisicki bounced back immediately with a break in the next game and held her serve to push the score to 2-2. Top seed broke
once again to take a lead that was doubled in the sixth game; perfectly placed ace and couple of breathtaking rallies were witnessed in the sixth game.
Both players continued to hold on to their respective serves and the score kept ticking over. World number 15, Lisicki, earned four other opportunities to break her opponent serve but couldn’t capitalize on any of the allotted
chances to finish off the proceedings a bit early.
French hung on in search of a crucial break but couldn’t locate a single opportunity to break; other than one successful break earlier in the set. It was becoming increasingly difficult as the games passed by and in the end
Lisicki rounded off the set with the similar score line as the first. She marches into the second round and steps closer to the season-opening championship title.
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