Veronica Cepede Royg sails past Maria Irigoyen into final four – Santiago ITF 2011
Second seeded Paraguayan, Veronica Cepede Royg, eases through Argentina’s Maria Irigoyen in straight sets at the Copa Providencia BCI 2011, an ITF Women’s Circuit event taking place on the clay courts in Santiago, Chile. She jolted
down a 6-2, 6-3 score line against the 24-year-old Argentinean to book a semi-final place on Thursday.
The Paraguayan teenager, ranked 231st in the Sony Ericsson WTA Premier Rankings, continued her impressive ways to stomp over the world number 307, Irigoyen, on their second meeting. After shocking the Argentinean at
the Rome-Tevere Remo ITF event in June, she maintained consistency in her game to not only overpower Irigoyen but also closed towards her second year-to-date title.
The 19-year-old Paraguayan entered the clay courts with conviction and held her opening serve comfortably. She got the coveted break in the second game but lost her edge in the proceeding game. After the Argentinean held her serve
in the fourth game, she unleashed flurry of groundstrokes to reel off next four games in a row and clinched the opener with a 6-2 win.
Royg improved her winning ways in the final set and smoothly plucked in entire serves without facing any breakpoint. She capitalised on one out of three breakpoint opportunities to her advantage in the eighth game and sealed the
set by winning six games to three.
The high flying Paraguayan is enjoying an incredible season so far. She won her maiden career title in july at the Campos Do Jordao ITF event and made semi-final berths at Buenos Aires, Denain and Asuncion ITF events before entering
this tournament. Royg rallied past Tina Schiechtl in the opening set and crushed Brazilian Maria Fernanda Alves in the second round.
Standing on her career best rank, Royg will next confront eighth seed Romana Tabak. The Slovakian Tabak trashed Dutch Richel Hogenkamp in straight sets to reach this spot.
Argentinean Mailen Auroux faced a better fate as she made it into the last four. Auroux bounced back to register a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) score line against the Peruvian Bianca Botto to reach this spot. She will next face Brazilian qualifier
Paula Cristina Goncalves.
Tags: