Sorana Cirstea dumps Tamira Paszek in opening round – Generali Ladies Linz 2011
Romanian qualifier Sorana Cirstea eased past Austrian Tamira Paszek in straight sets at the Generali Ladies Linz 2011, a WTA Tier-II event taking place in the indoor hard courts in Linz, Austria. She registered a 7-5, 6-3 score
line over the 20-year-old Paszek to secure a second round spot on Tuesday.
World number seventy-eight, Cirstea showed exceptional qualities to upset the Austrian, ranked thirty-three places below her in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier rankings, on their second meeting. After earning this one hour and forty-five
minutes match success, she not only confidently inched towards the $220,000 prize money but also extended lead in the head-to-head series by 2-0.
The qualifier stormed into the opening set and reeled off first three games in a row through exquisite forehands from her box of tricks. Regardless of losing her serve in the fifth game and exchanging a break in the next two games,
she clinched the opener after breaking Paszek’s serve in the last game.
Cirstea clobbered a magnificent first serve share of 80 percent as compared to the Austrian’s 51 percent and registered 58 percent win on it. In addition to this, she saved four out of six breakpoints faced and cashed in on all
three breakpoint chances to her advantage.
21-year-old kept momentum rolling into the final set and smoothly plucked entire serves without facing any hurdle or a breakpoint. Cirstea then capitalised on one out of four breakpoint opportunities to her advantage in the eighth
game to seal the set by winning six games to three. Furthermore, she again manifested a higher first serve share of 59 percent as compared to her rival’s 49 percent and registered a fascinating 82 percent win on it.
Disappointed with her performance, the local said, "It was not the best day. It was my home tournament and I put too much pressure on myself. Sorana played great and I made too many unforced errors. After a couple of years missing
my home tournaments, it was a tough experience. I hope for some better results in Austria the next few years."
While Paszek heads home, the Romanian moves on ahead to play the fourth seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who trashed Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues in brutal three sets to reach this spot.
The seed saved only two out of eight breakpoints faced but converted six out of thirteen breakpoint opportunities to her advantage to seal the deal with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 score line in two hours and seventeen minutes.
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