Magda Linette (32. Her first rival was Greek Maria Sakkari.
The situation was quite favorably for a Polish woman, because Sakkari is a great name, a leading tennis player in the world, but for months she is down and fell to the 81st place in the ranking. For this reason, she had to break through the event in the Italian capital, in which she defeated, among others Maja Chwalińska.
In the first round at Foro Italico, Maria Sakkari unexpectedly eliminated Belinda Benć (39). The Swiss crossed out after the first set, and remember that after returning after the birth of the child she presented herself very well recently – in February she won the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi.
Linette quickly got a chance for a rematch
On the other hand, Sakkari and Linette measured only a dozen or so days ago in Madrid. At that time, also at the stage of the second round, Greczynka was the top 7: 6, 6: 3. Everything was decided at that time the first party, which lasted an hour and was extremely fierce.
In Rome, our tennis player received a quick chance of a rematch from fate. The beginning of the match, however, was not successful for her. Already in the second service game she was broken, the mistakes of Linette multiplied.
After one of them, the commenting in Canal+ Sport Klaudia Jans-Ignacik noticed: “It is a pity for such actions when you have a ball on a rocket, she makes a mistake, and nothing is going on. Differently when he tries to play Winner.” In the game of our tennis player, sometimes there was a lack of determination and taking the initiative, and also precision.
It is different with Maria Sakkari. At the 3: 1 state, she first defended two break points, and then scattered the Polish woman and finally showed off his great volume. – The best action Maria played here. She imposed what would happen on the court – the commentator analyzed. After a while, a great Greek forhend ending the game, 4: 1 and a heavily clenched fist.
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Sakkari followed the blow, but she was not very forced by Linette to error. – I'm waiting for Magda to throw a higher run. He must accelerate – we heard. The beginning of the set was still even, but from a minute to minutes the Greek advantage grew. The more that her service was working better. After a good pass, she went to the net, sent a flat Bekhend and so she closed the set with a 6: 1 result.
Linette from 3: 4 at 6: 4!
During the break, Magda Linette approached this part of the stands, where her coach Mark Gellard and consultant Agnieszka Radwańska sat. They probably advised her to try to play bolder. She quickly put it into force in the first game of the second set, when she showed off a strong forhend, but in the following minutes of this aggression sometimes was still missing.
Sakkari continued to serve perfectly, especially at key moments, e.g. at 30:30. In the seventh game, she broke our tennis player to zero and was already about the hair to win the whole meeting (4: 3). Then there was a return, and Linette, fighting very ambitiously, used the third Break Point and leveled at 4: 4. The commentator noticed how the Greek immediately stiffened, she made further mistakes from Bekhend, she began playing more nervously.
The Polish woman came out from 3: 4 to 5: 4 after she won the longest game of this meeting, in which she defended herself three times before breaking, up to five balance. There was a real war of nerves on the court: action for action, mistakes alternately with spectacular winners. At the same time, it was the best fragment of the meeting performed by Magda Linette, who slightly accelerated the play, pressed the rival and had more mistakes from Maria Sakkari. At the end, the Greek sent Formend a few meters outside the end line. Pressed could not stand, she lost the application again and lost the party 4: 6.
Linette in the third round!
Sakkari was completely unable to recover from what happened and lost her next points. Conversely Linette – her confidence grew. As a result, in the decisive set she quickly jumped back to 3: 0. She played more aggressively and at the same time exactly. After one of the strong websites, she immediately closed the replacement with a straight line, and took a few steps forward. – Way to go! The action I was talking about. There was a lack of similar risk with Magda – indicated Jans -Ignacik.
Sakkari was thrown out, her passing did not work so well. As a result, she lost from the state of 4: 3 in the second set as many as six games in a row. The most eloquent picture is how many times the played at her Bekhend circulated, because on this impact she stopped feeling comfortable and looked for other solutions.
The Polish woman calmly controlled the meeting and won 1: 6, 6: 4, 6: 1. Although she had to defend three balls to break in the last game. She showed great fortitude, she did not break down despite the difficult location in the second party. Greek, in turn, set an example of why she has fallen so much in the ranking recently. It lacks stabilization – even throughout one match, its form can wave very much.
In the third round in Rome, Magda Linette's rival will be better from the couple, American Coco Gauff – Canadian Victoria Mboko. Gaufff is the third tennis player in the world who recently reached the final in Madrid. 156. In the MBOKO ranking she starts as a qualifier.
Iga Świątek, who defeated Elizabetta Cocciaretto 6: 1, 6: 0, has already avoided the third round in the Italian capital. On Friday in the second round Magdalena Fręch will face Victoria Azarenka. Broadcasts from the event at Canal+ Sport, reports at Sport.pl.