Yana Sizikova upsets Anna Floris to grab the title – Djibouti ITF 2012
Russian rising star, Yana Sizikova, required three sets to shock the top seed, Anna Floris, at the Djibouti ITF 2012 on Sunday. She nudged up a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory against the Italian starlet to capture the crown at this ITF (International Tennis Federation) Women’s Circuit event taking place in Djibouti.
Seeded fifth in this event, Sizikova showed brilliant skills and agility to outrun Floris in their first encounter. After recording the victory in almost two and half hours, the Russian captured the crown and pocketed the prize money.
Sizikova made quick in-roads at the Centre de Tennis de Gabode 4. She got the coveted break in the third game and jumped to a 3-1 lead. The Russian held her remaining serves with poise and cashed another break chance in the last game, eventually sealing the opener by winning six games to two. She brushed off all three breakpoints she came across and converted two out of four break chances to her advantage.
The 30-year-old made a fitting reply in the following set. She drew the first blood in the opening game and jumped to a 2-0 lead. Despite levelling the scores in the fourth game, the Italian held her composure and bagged remaining serves. She got the breakthrough in the last game and eventually clinched the decider with a 6-4 score line. The veteran fended off three out of four breakpoints she encountered and availed two out of four break opportunities to get back in contention.
Ranked 579th in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Rankings, Sizikova found her early momentum again in the deciding set. She got the desiderated break in the opening game and leaped to a 2-0 lead. Apart from losing her edge after that, the Russian remained focused and got the breakthrough in the end. She failed to block the only breakpoint she faced and converted two out of three break chances to her advantage.
The Russian teenager battled past Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Anita Husaric in a three-set thriller to reach this final spot. She lost her concentration in the second set but remained focused, eventually recording a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 victory.
Tags: