Tetiana Luzhanska clears the qualifiers at Malaysia Open – Women’s Tennis Association update
The seventh seeded Ukrainian, Tetiana Luzhanska, made an epic comeback from one set down to defeat fourth seeded Slovakian, Kristina Kucova, in a three-set thriller that ended 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 at the Kuala Lumpur WTA Premier event on Monday.
World ranked 208th, Luzhanska, had won seven out of her last 10 matches. Before entering this tournament, she reached the quarter-finals at the Rancho Santa Fe ITF, Rancho Mirage ITF and Surprise ITF. In this tournament she overpowered Malaysian
wild card, Thieviya Selvarajoo and Taipei Chin-Wei Chan, with breadsticks in the first two qualifying rounds.
The world number 182, Kucova had a 60 per cent winning record for her last ten matches. Before entering this WTA Premier event, she was ousted in the first rounds at Andrezieux-Boutheon ITF and Grenoble ITF but she managed to reach the second round at Paris
Open through qualifiers. She overwhelmed New Zealand’s Sacha Jones and Croatian, Jasmina Tinjic, in the first two qualifying rounds.
Both players started the match in great form and displayed their abilities in the opening set but Luzhanska seemed nervous as she committed three double faults and had a lower first serve percentage of 52 per cent compared to the Slovak’s amazing 83 per
cent. Kucova also earned an acceptable 55 per cent win on serve and thus cruised to a 6-3 victory in the first set.
After this the 26-year-old Ukrainian stabilised her form and got her head back in to the game. She spectacularly broke Kucova’s serve three times and saved two break points through her awesome agility. She had an acceptable first serve percentage of 64 to
the Slovak’s 61 per cent. However she registered an impressive 69 per cent win on it. Kucova tried to stop the raging Ukrainian’s attack but only managed to win two games, while Luzhanska clinched with a 6-2 score line.
The lower ranked Ukrainian kept her winning momentum from the second set to the final set as she broke her opponent serve three times and saved the only break point to win the set with a 6-2 score line again. Kucova had a much higher first serve percentage
of 88 compared to the Ukrainian’s 57 per cent. However Luzhanska earned a convincing 69 per cent win on it.
Luzhanska has now advanced to the first round of the Malaysia Open where she will be facing Australian Jarmila Groth.
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