Xin Wen rallies past Shiho Akita to reach final round – Chang ITF Pro Circuit 2012
Chinese starlet, Xin Wen, got the better of the seventh seed, Shiho Akita, in a three-set thriller at the Chang ITF Pro Circuit 2012 on Friday. She nudged up a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory against the Japanese to power into the final round at this ITF (International Tennis Federation) Women’s Circuit event taking place in Bangkok, Thailand.
Seeded second in this event, Wen lost her track after bagging the opening set. However, she found her rhythm again when it mattered the most, eventually carving out the victory in almost two hours. As a result, the Chinese booked a spot in the final showdown at this outdoor hard court event.
Wen stormed into the Rama Garden Sport Complex. She quickly reeled off five games in a row before Akita could come on the score sheet. The higher seed held her serve once again and clicked the opener with a breadstick. She was never threatened with any barrier and marked both break chances to dominate in the set.
The Japanese seed rebounded in the following set. She kept her entire serves with conviction. Akita got the breakthrough in the last game and clinched the equaliser with a 6-4 score line. She was never threatened with any breakpoint and cashed the lone break opportunity to get back in contention.
Ranked 457th in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Wen found her early ascendancy in the deciding set. She got the crucial break in the third game and jumped to a 3-1 lead. The Chinese capitalised on another break chance near the end and subsequently sealed the decider by winning six games to two.
Wen made highlights this season at the Tarakan ITF event when she made a quarter-final showing.
Next in queue for Wen is her top seeded compatriot, Qiang Wang. The highest ranked player of the tournament, Wang battled past South Korea’s Ye-Ra Lee in a three-set nail-biter to set up this meeting. Wang swayed from her path in the second set but remained focused, eventually registering the deal with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 score line in almost two and a half hours.
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