#AlisonRiske caused one of the bigger upsets in the first round of the 2019 #ShenzhenOpen, marking the best possible start she could have to a brand new WTA season. Riske has always performed well in Shenzhen and the two-time finalist upset third seed #WangQiang in straight sets with a relatively comfortable 6-3, 6-3 scoreline.
Smashing 20 winners past her opponent, who looked horribly out-of-sorts today, Riske played a fantastic match to end off 2018 with and enter the new year with high confidence. Wang was unable to ride on her momentum from her strong finish to the previous season; finding just nine winners and committing 32 unforced errors overall.
Wang reached six consecutive semifinals during the Asian swing (Hiroshima, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing, Hong Kong, Zhuhai), but today’s performance was just a shadow of her top form as she served at 48 percent and was 2/8 on break points.
Riske, who fell to Maria Sharapova in the second round in 2018, will face Evgeniya Rodina and now has a high chance of reaching the semifinals once again.
Riske steers to the first set
It was a fantastic start for Riske, who broke serve in the opening game as Wang produced a series of unforced errors to start the match with. Wang had the golden opportunity to break straight back but was wasteful on her chances as she came up with a loose backhand which paved the way for the American to consolidate the break for a 2-0 lead.
Riske then surprisingly lost her serve from 40-15 up to return level at 2-2, with Wang raising the level of her game although she still seemed lethargic and does not seem ready to start the new season. The momentum swung towards the Chinese as she rattled off eight consecutive points to grab the 3-2 lead having claimed three straight games.
It was Riske’s turn to exploit her opponent’s errors as she soon regained the lead and jumped out to a 4-3 advantage before fending off three break points, including one with a stunning volley winner, in a decisive eighth game which ultimately decided the outcome of the first set. Wang then completely lost the plot; losing a 40-0 lead to get broken for the third time to gift the first set 6-3 to Riske.
Riske closes out the win
Wang looked to have regained the momentum — starting the second set with a break before earning a confidence-boosting hold to consolidate the break for the early 2-0 lead. Things seemed complicated for Riske, who once served at 0-2 40-40. However, from there, the match completely became one-sided yet again.
The following three games all reached the 30-30 stage, but on every single occasion, it was Riske who prevailed as she held her nerves and claimed the important points for a commanding 5-2 lead, edging closer than ever to the huge victory.
Wang was determined not to go down without a fight as she put in some resistance to hold serve in the eighth game of the set, forcing Riske to serve out the match. The two-time finalist did not disappoint despite nerves showing in her game, claiming the outstanding win after an hour and 35 minutes of play.
Comments