Samantha Crawford hits back to oust Antonia Lottner in semis – US Open Girls’ Singles 2012
Local wild card recipient, Samantha Crawford, stunned the fourth seed, Antonia Lottner, with a breadstick at the Girls’ Singles event of US Open 2012 on Saturday. She clobbered a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory against the German seed to charge into the final round at this last of the four Grand Slam events held in Queens in Corona Park, New York City.
Crowd favourite, Crawford made a drastic start at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and lost the opening set. However, she went on a 10-game rampage to carve out the victory in one hour and 41 minutes. As a result, the American convincingly booked a spot in the final showdown.
The 16-year-old turned out to be a better competitor in the opening set at this major hard court event. She suffered the first blow in the opening game but quickly recovered in the very next game. Lottner bagged her remaining serves with poise and got the breakthrough in the eighth game, eventually sealing the opener by winning six games to three.
Ranked 393rd in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Crawford made a fitting reply in the following set. After the seed held her serve in the second game, Crawford unleashed flurry of groundstrokes to reel off five games in a row. She warded off all three breakpoints she came across to keep her entire serves and cashed in both break chances to pull out the equaliser with a breadstick.
In the final set, the American carried her rhythm. She stroke out the opening five games before the German seed could break back. Crawford plucked her serve once again and clinched the decider with a 6-2 score line. She dusted away four out of five breakpoints she faced and converted three out of four break opportunities to her advantage.
Next up for Crawford is the 12th seed, Anett Kontaveit from Estonia. The Estonian rising star plonked the local wild card recipient, Victoria Duval, in straight sets to reach this spot. She lost her serve three times but capitalised on five out of eight break chances to clobber a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory.
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