Valeria Savinykh capsizes Mathilde Johansson in the opening round - XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas 2012
Russian booming starlet, Valeria Savinykh, capsized the 71st ranked French, Mathilde Johansson, in an epic three-setter during the opening round of XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas. The contest was played on
clay courts in Bogota and exhibited one of the most gruelling battles of the tournament, ending in the favour of the Russian with scores of 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-5.
A stunning start to the match witnessed both players trading breakpoints in the opening two games before managing successive holds for the following four; scores progressed to 3-3. A flurry of breakthroughs witnessed four
games dropped by respective serves players in equal ratio of 2:2; keeping the scores tightly packed at 5-5.
No more breakthroughs in the following two games further pushed the scores to 6-6, with a tie-breaker round introduced to decide the set. An early mini-break for the Russian helped her to sneak the tie-breaker round and the
opening set in her favour. There was absolutely no basis on which both players could be discriminated. They met blow-to-blow to each other; advancing towards the finishing moments of the set with nothing at all to spare between them.
The second set was also a complete package of entertainment for the viewers. It started with an exchange of breakpoints before the sixth seed French took lead in the fifth game courtesy a couple of unforced errors from her
opponent. She further enhanced her lead with a successful serve hold in the following game to push the scores to 4-2.
Savinykh seemed to have lost her grip on the proceedings as she lost another serve game to her opponent; gifting her resounding lead of three games by the end of the seventh game. A trade of breakthroughs in the following
two games registered the set triumph for the French who looked a much better competitor in the second set.
A resounding 4-0 at the start of the set for the French almost pulled the curtains for the Russian. Everyone thought the match was over with the Russian under the cosh but she proved everybody wrong and pulled up an emphatic
comeback to win two breakpoints back and tie the scores at 5-5. The French tennis ace was amused at her opponent’s willpower to jump back from behind.
Johansson was dismantled completely and that led to another breakthrough for her opponent which proved to be the last turning point in the match. A successful hold for the Russian confirmed the second round spot for her.
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