BARTOLI THROUGH

Mary Pierce’s countrywoman, Marion Bartoli, has defeated Romina Oprandi of Switzerland in the second round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows. Bartoli had to work hard for this victory. She was a given a tough fight by the Swiss player. Bartoli won the match by 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.  With this victory, Bartoli has made her way to the third round where she will take on her compatriot Kristina Mladenovic.

Oprandi didn’t start the match well. Bartoli broke Oprandi’s service in the 2^nd and the 4^th game of the first set and won the first four games consecutively to take a lead of 4-0. The Frenchwoman didn’t let Oprandi make a comeback in the set after that and held her service in the remaining games to grab the first set by 6-2. In the second set, Oprandi lifted the standard of her game and played incredibly well. She got a breakthrough in the second game and then, she made her lead more profound by serving out the third game. Although Bartoli held her service in the fourth game, but, that didn’t matter much as Oprandi sealed the set by winning three back-to-back games.

The way Oprandi played in the second set; it seemed that the Swiss player might pull off an upset. But, the experienced Frenchwoman showed brilliant temperament in the final set. There was no breakthrough in the final set till the end of the 10^th game and the scores were levelled at 5-5. The set seemed to be going towards the tie breaker.  But, Bartoli turned the game in her favour by breaking Oprandi’s service in the 11^th game. Oprandi needed to get a breakthrough in the next game to extend the match, but, Bartoli didn’t let that happen and finished the game with a cracking winner.