All this week in Charleston, Elena Vesnina used her big serve to get out of trouble in matches. Today, however, the unseeded Russian's game-saving serve just wasn't there, and she was defeated 6-2, 6-3 by world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki. "My serve didn't help me today like it was helping me in the previous matches," Vesnina said after the final. "I was trying to go for the big serves, but it didn't go. It didn't fly that fast like it was flying before."
Wozniacki, on the other hand, won 75% of the time on her first serves, and hit six aces. She also broke Vesnina three times, but was never broken, though Vesnina saw four break opportunities.
At the start of the match, each player held serve, then Wozniacki had to go through five deuces--with no break points--to win her next service game. The top seed then broke Vesnina. The seventh game was very close, and Vesnina appeared to be entering a zone for creating break opportunities, but she committed unforced errors at crucial times, and Wozniacki held for 5-2. Wozniacki then broke Vesnina and won the first set.
Vesnina became more aggressive in the second set, and continued her tournament-long pattern of using a lot of touch to win points. Her drop shots and lobs were well-placed, and when she served at 2-3 and went down a break point, she used a forehand slice to get back into the game and even the score. At this point, the fans broke into huge applause.
Wozniacki then went down 0-30, but Vesnina missed a forehand that would have given her break point. She did get a break opportunity on the next point when she hit a forehand deep into the deuce court, but Wozniacki was able to save not only that break point, but also the next one. She used a relatively slow, high, serve to get to game point, then held. At 3-4, Vesnina saved one break point, but was broken on the next one. Wozniacki then had an easy hold to win the championship.
Vesnina said of her opponent: "...sometimes you feel that she's everywhere on the court, you know. Like she's covering the court, and she's changing a little bit of pace, and she's making you think and play, and that's why, I mean, she's tough."
Wozniacki now has a total of 15 titles. Today's victory was her third of the season.
Wozniacki now has a total of 15 titles. Today's victory was her third of the season.
2 comments:
I'm so glad she won the title. All the hard work has finally paid off. Anyone knows what is her relation to Poland??
This cannot succeed in reality, that is exactly what I suppose.
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