Paszek struggles through in Quebec

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Paszek struggles through in Quebec

Third seed Tamira Paszek has made a uneasy progress into the Quebec quarter finals when the Austrian edged Varvara Lepchenko after surviving an early scare 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, to meet Heather Watson in the last eight term.

Paszek needed three hours to secure the quarter final berth as she also converted four out of nine break points in front of the American who took the first set at the death. Both players won their own service until the breaker when things looked much clearer. Lepchenko powered through to a five mini break lead she eventually converted into a first set lead.

The second set saw Paszek battle back and convert a couple of break points, something which helped her to build a comfortable lead for an easy leveler. Finally, the third set saw the two players exchange four break points, two apiece, with the Austrian controlling the breaker. Paszek was held until the eighth point when she started a three point run which brought her the hard fought win at the death.

The third favorite finished the game with four breaks, six double faults, two aces and a 38 return percentage, compared to her opponent’s 67 first serve percentage, five double faults, three breaks and a 39 receiving percentage.

Said Paszek after the game: “The crowd really pulled me through. I could hardly walk by the end but I just didn’t want to leave this tournament.” The head to head series between world number 40 Paszek and the 106^th-ranked Lepchenko have gone 2-1 to the 20 year old whose first win comes from the 2009 Ponte Vedra Beach event. On the other side, Lepchenko’s only victory dates from the 2009 Madrid tournament.

Paszek will next meet teenager Heather Watson who ousted Sofia Arvidsson in two sets 7-5, 6-3 in the second round. The Briton broke her opponent six times in 11 tries, winning the first set thanks to a late break. As for the second term, it saw the same Briton convert three out of five break points and power through to a consistent lead which eventually brought her the straight set success.

Watson needed one hour and 35 minutes to make the progress. She finished the meeting with a 72 first serve percentage, a 56 return one, three double faults, four aces and a 56 service percentage, while Arvidsson came up with a similar first serve efficiency, a 44 return percentage, an ace and two breaks which did not help her to stay in touch with a leveler.

Previous to the second round win, Watson had defeated Anne Kremer 6-2, 6-4, while her next opponent Paszek is also following a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win against Ashley Weinhold whom, she ousted in the opening day.

Concerning the second half of the draw, Rebecca Marino, who is seeded fourth in Canada, edged compatriot Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes. The favorite broke her opponent four times in seven tries and also saved 11 out of 14 break point threats coming from the opposite side.

Marino had a much better start, breaking the compatriot twice in the opener, something which brought her an easy lead. But the second set showed Wozniack come from behind and win the term thanks to a single break grabbed in the midst of the run. Marino managed to save three other break points but failed to convert her only opportunity.

Finally, the decider saw the two exchange three more breaks, two of which taken by Marino who found her pace to power through to a two game lead and a uneasy win. Wozniack build five break point chances but only transformed one, losing the meeting after a tense struggle.

“I was prepared for a tough battle – Aleksandra has been ranked Top 30 and I knew I’d have to bring great tennis to the table. She didn’t give me many chances. I think it was a well-fought match from both of us and I’m lucky I was able to squeak it out at the end,” said Marino after the win.

Rebecca finished the game with a 58 first serve percentage, 11 aces, five double faults, a 37 return percentage and a 61 service one, while Wozniak hit seven aces past her conational, committed four double faults and won 65 percent of first serve balls and 39 of returning points.

Marino’s next opponent is Michaella Krajicek who also needed three sets to oust Julie Coin, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. The Dutch won the opener after a late break which helped her to stay in touch with the win, but faced a midway scare when she was leveled due to a poor showing.

Coin converted her only break point in the second set and saved Krajicek’s only break point to push the meeting further into a third setter. Against the game way, Krajicek set back the pace and powered through to a five game lead, breaking her opponent three times in eight tries only in the third set. Coin could only witness her own ruining as she was unable to build any break point in front of the unstoppable Dutch.

Krajicek hit eight aces past the qualifier, who had previously ousted Anna Tatishvili, committed five double faults and won 59 percent of first serve balls and 34 of returning ones. As for the French, Julie came up with 13 aces, a couple of double faults, a 52 first serve percentage and a 24 return one.

Second favorite Lucie Safarova eased past Jill Craybas in two sets 6-2, 6-1 in the opener, needing just 51 minutes to book a place into the second term. The Czech broke the American five times in 14 tries and did not allow Craybas to steal or build any break point.

Safarova finished the game with five aces, two double faults, a 43 first serve percentage and a 53 return one, compared to her opponent’s three double faults, one aces and a very poor 17 return percentage. The head to head series between the world number 27 and Craybas has gone 2-0 to the Czech whose first win comes from the 2006 Amelia Island clay event.

The second favorite will next meet conational Andrea Hlavackova who follows an easy win against Melanie Oudin whom she ousted 6-1, 6-3. The Czech needed just one hour and ten minutes to make the progress. Hlavackova won 57 percent of first serve balls, hit five aces and committed three double faults, winning at the same time 54 percent of returning points.

Oudin had a 61 first serve percentage, four double faults, an ace and a 37 receiving percentage, managing to convert only one out of three break points. She also conceded five services, something which led to a painful win.

On the same half of the table, Mirjana Lucic grabbed a clear win against Jamie Hampton whom the Croatian crashed in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, needing just one hour and ten minutes to advance through the second term. Lucic converted four out of nine break points and won 50 percent of first serve balls, 49 of return ones, but also committed nine double faults.

The youngster managed to save six out of seven break points coming from the other side, not allowing her opponent to build any lead until the end. The American finished the game with a 56 first serve percentage, a couple of double faults, three aces and won 35 percent of return points.

Lucic leads the direct confrontations with the world number 126 2-1, her first win coming from last year’s Jackson event. Next up for her is Barbora Zahlavova Strycova who is following a similar win against Shuai Zhang whom she defeated in the opening day.

The sixth favorite needed just one hour and a half to beat the Chinese in front of whom she converted five out of 15 break points. Strycova finished the meeting with a 58 first serve percentage, a 50 return one, four double faults and an aces, compared to her opponent’s 64 first serve percentage, 44 return one and two break point conversions.

On the first half of the draw, top seed Daniela Hantuchova, who is chasing her second title in Quebec, made a nervous debut in Canada when she needed three sets to get rid of Ajla Tomljanovic. The Slovak edged the Croatian 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, needing nearly two hours to advance through the second round.

Hantuchova made a clean start, but couldn’t survive a midway scare, losing the second term due to the loss of two precious services which allowed Alja to push the clash into a third set decider. Hantuchova fought back to take a two game lead, breaking her opponent three times. She also conceded two more services but that did not stop her from sealing the victory.

She finished the game with a 69 first serve percentage, three double faults, a couple of aces, six out of 18 break point conversions and a 49 return percentage, compared to her opponent who had a 57 first serve percentage, seven double faults, five aces, four breaks and a 43 receiving percentage.

Hantuchova will next confront Melinda Czink of Hungary who edged Kathrin Woerle 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Both players converted five breaks, each, but it was the Hungarian to control the third set and grab the one hour and 40 minute win. Czink won 64 percent of first serve balls, 45 of return ones and hit six aces, while Woerle came up with a 51 first serve percentage, a 45 return one, six double faults and three aces.

Irina Flaconi and Marina Erakovic will also fight for a place into the quarter finals. Falconi beat Alison Riske in straight similar sets 6-3, 6-3, needing one hour and a half to do so. The American also broke her compatriot five times in 11 tries, winning at the same time 53 percent of first serve balls, 54 on return and 61 of service points.

Concerning Riske’s showing, it included a 63 first serve percentage, seven double faults, two aces, a 39 return percentage, two breaks and a 46 service percentage. Falconi leads the head to head series 2-1, Riske’s only win coming from the 2009 Bayamon tournament.

Falconi’s next opponent Marina Erakovic beat Caroline Garcia in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The New Zealand player needed more than two hours to oust the French who threatened with a consistent comeback at one point.

Erakovic converted three out of 16 break points and won 58 percent of first serves and 39 of returning balls. She also hit five aces and committed nine double faults, compared to her opponent who hit 12 aces past the New Zealand player. Garcia finished the game with a 51 first serve percentage, a poor 33 return one and a 61 service percentage.

Erakovic has doubled her lead in the head to head confrontations to 2-0. Her first win comes from the 2011 Pelham event where the French lost the meeting in two sets.

Quebec Prize Money and points:

Winner – $37,000 and 280 points WTA

Runner up – $19,000 and 200 points WTA

Semi finalist – $10,200 and 130 points WTA

Quarter finalist – $5,340 and 70 points WTA

Second round – $2,950 and 30 points WTA

First round – $1,725 and 1 point WTA

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