Shahar Peer outplayed Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open
World number 12 Shahar Peer of Israel defeated Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California on Friday night. Peer showed great character and mental resilience
to fight back in to the contest after being one set down, finishing the match at 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, in two hours and thirty minutes.
Peer carried on her good form to register the ninth win in the running year. She had a sloppy start to the contest but recovered very well from a one-set deficit to bag an emphatic victory. The Israeli got her momentum in the second
set tie breaker and then carried it along to come out as the winner.
Although Mattek-Sands served with 62 per cent accuracy in the opener, the American failed to bag sufficient points on her serve. She had an aggressive start to the contest and some cracking winners down the line put her in a commanding
lead of 4-2.
The 23-year-old Israeli had three break chances and she converted two of them to cut the deficit to 4-5 but an all important serve break by Mattek-Sands at 5-4 marked an end to the opening set.
Peer bounced back strongly in the following set, breaking her opponent’s serve in the very first game. Some amazing cross-court winners from the Israeli in the next two games put her in an astounding lead of 3-0. Her momentum was
finally broken by Mattek Sands in the fourth game and the American stung two consecutive serve breaks to get in the lead at 4-3.
A routine game took the second set to 6-6, imposing a decisive tie breaker. The Israeli faced less difficulty in outplaying her opponent in the tie breaker round and sealed off the set at 7-6(5), after converting her second set
point.
An enthralling contest was observed between the two competitors in the decisive third set, with exchanges of assertive winners and break points. Peer shifted her gears to race past the American serving for the match at 5-3. The
Israeli wasted two match points before she finally converted the third to ensure victory for her and a pass to the next round.
Peer will book a date with the 17th seed Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round of the tournament. The Russian defeated Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(5), in the second round.
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