Sofia Arvidsson takes down Elena Bovina to reach the second round – Bell Challenge 2011
World number 77, Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden, clinched an assertive victory over Elena Bovina of Russia in the opening round of the Bell Challenge, at Quebec, Canada, on Tuesday night.
The fifth seeded Swede competitor wrapped up victory in three sets, settling the final scores at 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, to make it to the second round of the $220,000 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tournament.
It took one hour and forty eight minutes for Arvidsson to overcome the resilient Russian after a stiff contest in the opening set. The fifth seed dropped the first set early in the match to fall on her back foot but she made a tremendous recovery in the later parts of the game to get hold of the contest. Arvidsson proved absolutely merciless in the last two sets of the contest and won 12 of the 15 total games being played to come out as the winner.
It was the 18th victory for the Swede competitor in the current WTA season, with 22 defeats already to her name. She delivered 62 per cent of her serve o target to reel off 23 out of 45 first serve points in the game. Bovina bettered her by winning 29 first serve points but seven crushing serve breaks from Arvidsson left her helpless in the match. The Russian had eight break opportunities in the matchup and converted half of them to finish on the losing side in the end.
Bovina stung two vital serve breaks in the sixth and the eighth game to clinch the opening set in no time but her game went through a terrible slump in the following set, letting Arvidsson back in business. The fifth seed Swede converted three of her 15 break opportunities to clinch the second set at 6-1 and carried on her winning impetus in the final set to inch closer to victory.
Three more serve breaks from Arvidsson in the third set to conclude victory for her at 6-2, getting through to the second round of Bell Challenge. She will take on the unseeded Briton, Heather Watson, in the next clash for a place in the quarter-final draws.
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