Sofia Arvidsson outlasts Alona Bondarenko in 1st round – China Open 2011
Sofia Arvidsson captured a win over the Ukrainian world number 153, Alona Bondarenko, during opening round of the China Open 2011 on Saturday, 1st of October. Playing on hard outdoor courts, the Swede dominated the Ukrainian
by surviving a mid match slip of 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in a lengthy two hours and thirteen minutes battle.
Bondarenko opted to serve first as she had just won the service toss and rolled down the scoreboard, 1-0. Following right behind was Arvidsson, who too achieved a win on her service game and levelled the scoreboard at 1-1. The
two again held serves in the following two games and the score progressed on even terms with 2-2.
Serving for the fifth game was Bondarenko but she double faulted in her second serve and endorsed the Swede with a mini break. As Arvidsson won on her service game, she capitalized on the mini break and was now leading 4-2. Pouncing
at the opportunity, Arvidsson again broke her challenger.
By the end of the seventh game the scoreboard came to a standstill at 5-2. Serving for the match was Arvidsson and by thumping a backhand crosscourt, she secured the opening set victory with a 6-2.
After taking a thrashing in the first set, Bondarenko pulled up her socks in the second. Serving for the first game, Bondarenko survived the first service game and trailing behind her was Arvidsson. From there onwards the game
progressed on even terms in the following two games and by the end of the fourth game the scoreboard read as 2-2.
The players kept on winning on alternate service games for the next six games at the score was squared off at 5-5 by the end of the tenth game. At this point the game could’ve tilted either way but as Bondarenko held serve in the
eleventh game, she was lucky to break Arvidsson in the twelfth and secure her 7-5.
By the end of the first two sets, the players each had bagged a set apiece and opening the third round was again Bondarenko but she got off to an appalling start as she was unable hold serve in the first game. Arvidsson on the
other hand, had set her rhythm and was not going to let Bondarenko ease away with the second third set.
As she capitalized from an early break, she then went on to holding her serve in the second and took a mini lead of 2-0. However, the lead was short lived as Bondarenko made a comeback by winning on her serve to reduce the deficit
to 1-2. As the players held serve and broke during the following five games, the score advanced on balancing terms rounding at 4-4 and then again at 5-5 as they players broke each other back-to-back.
During the eleventh game Bondarenko’s forehand shot went wayward and she endorsed a game to Arvidsson at a very central point in the Match. By holding serve Arvidsson reeled of straight two points to clog the decisive set at 7-5
to secure a place in the second round of the event.
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