Sara Errani, Alison Riske cruise into the third round – AEGON Classic 2011
Number seven seed Sara Errani from Italy made it to the third round of 2011 AEGON Classic with a superb 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-2 victory over American Christina McHale here at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham.
Errani clinched a hard fought opening set in the tie-breaker. Fighting back with spirit, McHale managed to get the better of her opponent in the second set but lost the track completely in the following set as she let Errani pocket
the decider easily to complete her great victory.
The contestants started the match on a very competitive note as several long rallies were exchanged. After both players held on to their serve games and broke each other once in the opener, the set was forced into a tie-breaker.
Errani used her vast international experience to great effect as she competed really hard for every point in the decider. Dashing a big forehand winner down the line, she converted the second set point.
McHale bounced back incredibly well in the second set breaking the challenger early to shift the balance of the match. Turning the tables, the United States tennis-pro put Errani under immense pressure. Errani suddenly lost the
timing of her shots and made quite a few unforced errors in the process. Failing in her attempt to recover, she went into a defensive mode and let McHale take control of the game. McHale wasted no chances as she soon levelled the set score 1-1.
Errani lifted her spirits and completely dominated her opponent in the final and deciding the set. Her excellent 72 percent first serve combined with her retrieving abilities turned out to be the decisive factor in her victory.
She also kept her defence in check as she saved three out of six break points against her. McHale put up a good fight but she lacked the firepower in some aspects of the game. Missing the target several times during the match, World number 71 gifted five double
faults to her opponent.
In another match at the Women’s Tennis Association tournament, Alison Riske secured a thumping 6-3, 6-4 victory over German rival Sarah Gronet to ensure her third round berth.
Alison looked to be aggressive right from the start of the match. Creating opportunities for herself, she broke Gornet at regular intervals. Reaching an impressive 85 per cent first serve conversion, she took control of the rallies
and then placed her gorgeous forehand and backhand winners all over the court. Her attacking intent paid off big time as she require only 1 hour and 4 minutes dispatching her opponent.
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