Final places decided at the Aegon GB Pro-Series Barnstaple
3rd November 2013
Sunday’s women’s singles final at Barnstaple will see a new champion crowned after Krystyna Pliskova and the unseeded Marta Sirotkina have made it through their respective halves of the draw.
21 year old Pliskova captured the first set against reigning champion Annika Beck, who then unfortunately had to surrender her title, when retiring with an injury.
Whilst the first match was shorter than the crowd anticipated, they were treated to a feast of tennis in the second singles semi-final, between Johanna Konta and Marta Sirotkina. The British No.2 got off to a flying start, racing into a 3-0 lead, and never looked back to secure the first set 6-3. The 22 year old looked on course for the final leading 4-2 in the second set, however, a very determined Sirotkina dug deep to reel off three games in a row, which eventually saw the set go to a tiebreak. The Russian lead 6-3, before it was the turn of Konta to claw her way back, winning four points in a row to hold match point, only to see her opponent take the next three points, to level the match, after one hour 40 minutes of play.
With the crowd on the edge of their seats, the final set followed a very similar path to the second. This time Konta established a 5-2 lead, only to see the steely determination of her opponent erode her lead by winning four consecutive games, including a break of the Konta serve after a lengthy game at 5-5. Serving for the match, Sirotkina held two match points of her own at 40-15, but yet again neither player was prepared to lie down, with some heavy hitting from Konta winning four points in a row, to take the match to a final set tie-break.
Needless to say the closeness of the ensuing tie-break, reflected the previous two sets, with the 22 year old Moscovite recording a remarkable 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5) victory on her third match point, after two hours 47 minutes of play. Ironically over the course of the whole match Konta won 118 points compared to 113 by Sirotkina.
The women’s singles final is scheduled for a 1.00pm start, followed by the women’s doubles final, which will see Kristyna Pliskova return to court with British partner Naomi Broady against 2nd seeds Raluca Olaru (Romania) & Tamira Paszek (Austria).
- See more at: http://www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/AEGON-GB-Pro-Series/News/2013/Barnstaple/Finals-places-decided-at-the-Aegon-GB-Pro-Series-Barnstaple/#sthash.NhXHfyME.dpuf