Tsvetana Pironkova upsets Varvara Lepchenko to reach round two – Kremlin Cup 2012
World number 44, Tsvetana Pironkova, stunned the 26-year-old American, Varvara Lepchenko, in the first encounter of the Kremlin Cup on Tuesday. She won the opening set without losing a game and clinched the second phase’s tie-breaker
to round off the contest in just 80 minutes.
Earlier in the season, the 21st ranked American defeated the 25-year-old Bulgarian in the opening round of the China Open at Beijing. So, it was a revenge time for Pironkova. However, the head-to-head series is comfortably
in favour of the Bulgarian who leads it 3-1 courtesy this triumph.
There was absolutely no stopping to the onslaught of the Bulgarian number one in the opening set of the match. She clinched three breakpoints in a row and just faced a stern resistance on her serve in the fifth game of the match.
Pironkova won 25 points compared to just nine of her rival's, converting three of the allotted four breakthroughs and saved one as well to keep the bagel in touching distance. Both players committed one double-fault apiece. Moreover,
Pironkova smashed an ace to ice up the cake in the end.
The second set was much more competitive compared to its previous edition. Pironkova was pushed on the back foot in the first game when Lepchenko broke serve to take the lead. She protected the earned lead with a serve hold and
made it 2-0.
No player lost any more breakpoint until the crunch game that was the 10th game of the match. The American was serving to enforce the final set into play but faltered and gifted the breakpoint to her rival who managed
to keep the set alive as well as equalized the scores at 5-5.
A serve hold at both ends with no real resistance from their competitors enforced the tie-breaker round into play. The Bulgarian superstar took an early mini-break that was doubled shortly courtesy a breathtaking winner down the
line. Lepchenko failed to keep her head up and fall victim to an upset in the opening round.
Tsvetana Pironkova plays the winner of the contest between the defending champion from Slovakia, Dominika Cibulkova, and Ekaterina Makarova.
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