A stunning recovery saw #AnastasiaPavlyuchenkova claim a huge, confidence-boosting win over Olympics Gold Medalist #MonicaPuig in a highly-anticipated first-round clash at the 2019 #AustralianOpen. Pavlyuchenkova had to recover from a 0-4 deficit in the opening set to triumph in straight sets, prevailing after an hour and 20-minutes of action.
After a slow start, Pavlyuchenkova dominated points on her first serves, winning 69 percent of those points. Both players struggled on their second serves but it was Pavlyuchenkova who performed better on her first delivery, which was the crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the match today.
Pavlyuchenkova will now face ninth seed Kiki Bertens in the second round of play and will look to cause the upset after this impressive win.
Pavlyuchenkova recovers from a huge deficit to take the first set
It was the worst possible start one could have for Pavlyuchenkova, who committed five unforced errors, including two double-faults, in the opening game which allowed Puig to take advantage of the cold start and grab the first breakthrough of the match. Although the Russian produced the reply of firing consecutive forehand winners, it was not enough as Puig stormed to consolidate the break for an early two-game advantage.
It seemed as though the scorching hot sun and the soaring temperatures were affecting Pavlyuchenkova as she continued to struggle on serve. Multiple double-faults followed, and a series of errors from the Russian saw Puig claim the commanding 4-0 lead with a powerful backhand winner after just 15 minutes of play.
Pavlyuchenkova finally found some of her top form, getting onto the scoreboard with some inspired play which allowed her to gain back her momentum. This time, it was Puig who started doubting herself as five unforced errors in the sixth game saw Pavlyuchenkova grabbing one of the breaks back.
It was a combination between Puig’s drop in level and Pavlyuchenkova’s gain of momentum which allowed the Russian to snatch six consecutive games and claim the first set 6-4 despite starting the match with a four-game deficit. It was an unbelievable comeback considering the former top-15 player was down-and-out when trailing 0-4.
Pavlyuchenkova seals the good win
In drastic contrast to the first set, Pavlyuchenkova started the second set by staving off break points to hold serve in the first game. She started to gain confidence in her game and was hitting winners at her own will as she blasted countless forehand winners to be the clear aggressor in the match.
Within a blink of an eye, Pavlyuchenkova found herself owning a three-game lead and had claimed nine consecutive games. Puig finally stopped the rout, just in time, as she seemingly regained some of her self-belief after firing some world-class backhand winners which earned loud applauses from the crowd.
Three consecutive games came and went, and all of them went in Puig’s favour as Pavlyuchenkova suffered from a monumental lapse in focus. Although Puig was dictating the points, her inability to play consistent tennis proved costly as she lost three consecutive games to concede the match. It was some impressive serving from the Russian in the last game, finding two aces to close out the win.
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