Zhao Yi-Jing sinks Madalina Gojnea in final qualifying round – WANLIMA Women’s Open 2011
Wild card entrant Zhao Yi-Jing of China stunned Romanian number two seed Madalina Gojnea 6-2, 6-3 on Monday to book her place in the main draw of 2011 WANLIMA Guangzhou International Women’s Open here in Guangzhou, China.
Unseeded at the Women’s Tennis Association tournament, Zhao has been in terrific form from the last week or so. She defeated compatriot Yi-Chen in the second round and now defeating a player ranked much higher than her, she will
be feeling very confident about her game play. Her serve is the strongest side of her game and she will be looking to hit her first serves as frequent as possible.
Ranked 437th in the world, Zhao made a strong start to the contest. Breaking the serve in the very first game of the opening set, she took control of things right from the beginning. Blasting a big forehand winner cross
court, she earned a crucial 4-1 lead. Wrong footing her opponent in several long rallies, she showed her mental strength and determination.
Leading the game score 4-2, she broke the serve for the second time in the match to earn an impassable lead, serving for the set. Despite some considerable resistance put up by the challenger on her next service games, Zhao outlasted
her opponent to take 1-0 set score lead.
World number 168, Gojnea showed strong character in the following set. Looking for an entry back into the match, she broke her Chinese rival for twice to take a vital 3-1 lead. However, from there on, she lost the track completely,
suffering three straight breaks of serve. Zhao was determined to close out the match in straight set and she played very competitive tennis from the baseline. Claiming five straight games, she earned an emphatic straight sets victory in a match that lasted
for only 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Zhao will be hoping to continue her good form throughout her campaign at WANLIMA International. She must also work hard on her defensive game play to pose any threats to the top seeded players in the event.
Tags: