Sabine Lisicki thunders past Nina Bratchikova to reach the title match – PTT Pattaya Open 2013
German tennis diva, Sabine Lisicki, cruised through the semi-final round of the PTT Pattaya Open on Saturday’s eve, setting aside the resistance of the Russian underdog, Nina Bratchikova, in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3. The one-sided
affair lasted for 90 minutes before fifth seeded Lisicki earned a title shot in the final of the WTA Tour event in Pattaya, Thailand.
The contest took off with five successive break points from both sides but it was Lisicki who came up with a 4-2 lead eventually. Bratchikova posted some solid resistance in the set and kept matching her superior-ranked opponent’s
game in all aspect. She finally broke the German serve in the 10th game to bring the scores to 5-5. However, the fifth seed registered her fourth break point of the day to reach 6-5. She served out of the opener convincingly to get the upper hand
in the match.
Once finding her winning groove, Lisicki never looked back at her rival and kept cruising towards victory. She broke the Russian serve in the third and then again in the ninth game to wrap up the proceedings at 6-3.
Lisicki secured 28 out of 40 first serve points in the match, firing eight aces and coughing four double faults. She had 13 break points in the entire match but six conversions proved sufficient to register her fifth victory of
the 2013 WTA season. On the other hand, Bratchikova frittered five priceless break points in the contest and converted merely three to finish on the losing side in the end.
Currently holding the 52nd spot in the WTA Premier Rankings, Lisicki has not been at her best in the two season-opening tournaments being played last month. She suffered an opening-round exit at the Australian Open Grand
Slam championships at the hands of former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki. However, she came to Pattaya Open with all her guns blazing and reached the final of the event without any real challenge being faced from any other competitor. She will next face
the winner of the other semi-final clash between the second seed Maria Kirilenko and the fourth seed Sorana Cirstea.
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