Serena Williams blue rains on Anastasia Rodionova in the 1st round – Bank of the West Classic 2011
Tuesday, 26th of July 2011, was the continuation of the first round of the Bank of the West Classic 2011. Serena Williams and Anastasia Rodionova were old time rivals and had competed against each other twice
prior to this event. At the Taube Family Tennis Center, Serena won the match in a flawless straight set victory 6-0, 6-0 in just 47 minutes and 47 seconds
Initially both the players had met for the first time on hard courts of Miami in 2007 where Serena beat her opponent 6-3, 6-3. However, fate had given Anastasia a chance to avenge her loss. A year later in 2008 both met at the
Bangalore event in the quarterfinal; Serena won the match and was leading in their head to head score 2-0. This was the third time that fate had bestowed Rodionova with an opportunity to engage racquets with Williams and restore her competence.
Serena won the pitch and opened the set, with a dominating display of power she hit an ace and managed to smash three more aces during the set. She hit a number of back hand strokes that landed at the edge of the court and made
it difficult for her opponent to return her serve and hence, she was able to win a hundred percent of her first serve points. Additionally, her return serve was an exotic display of re-coiling shots aimed at her opponent and won a walloping sixty three percent
of her first return points.
Mean while, Rodionova was unable to play Serena’s shots and was intimidated by her opponents style and technique. Rodionova clenched only thirty eight percent of her total service points along with an inadequate eight percent win
in her total return serves.
The 29-year-old American (Serena) was in her form, with the crowd boosting her performance throughout the set she did not let her guard down and did not allow her opponent a single break point instead she broke her opponent three
times and won the match with almost thrice as many points than her opponents.
This was the deciding set for Serena she knew she had to defeat her opponent to win the match. While Rodionova should’ve tried to perform relatively better in the second set, to everyone’s disappointment she didn’t. Serving first
with timidity; she aced but due to lack of self confidence and a wobbly serve she struck two double faults (out of which one was a line fault and the other hit the net). This time her serve was below the par, and won a meagre thirty three percent of her total
service points where as Serena had a commendable seventy five percent win in her total serve points.
The Russian born Australian (Anastasia) had a pathetic defence; she gave three break point opportunities to her opponent and was capable of winning only twenty five percent of her total return points. Serena on the other hand had
a solid and stable defence; she capitalized on the three out of four break point opportunities along with winning a sixty seven percent in her total return serve she won the set and the match.
The 13-time Grand Slam winner (Serena) restricted her Aussie opponent to just five game points none of which Rodionova was able to convert. Her assertive style and technique was felt throughout the match making her look like a
lioness hunting her prey!
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