ARVIDSSON THROUGH

Robin Soderling’s compatriot, Sofia Arvidsson, has defeated Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic in the first round of the Generali Ladies Linz 2012. Arvidsson won the match by 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Safarova was given the fourth seed in the competition and she was expected to win the first round match easily. The Czech player looked in supreme form in the first set, but, as the match went on, her performance gradually deteriorated and she lost the plot. Arvidsson took 2 hours and 3 minutes to secure the victory.

Safarova’s service was broken in the very first game of the first set and she was trailed by 0-2 at the end of the second game. But, Arvidsson didn’t manage to maintain the lead for too long.  Safarova managed to level the scores by sneaking a breakthrough in the fourth game. The next three games went with the serve and the scorecard was saying 4-3 in the favour of Safarova at the end of the 7^th game. Safarova got another breakthrough in the eighth game and the score became 5-3. The Czech player only had to hold her service in the ninth game to seal the set and that’s what she did. She easily served out the ninth game and won the first set by 6-3.

In the second set, Arvidsson played with lot of aggression. She won five out of the first six games to take a profound lead of 5-1. Safarova broke Arvidsson’s service in the seventh game, but, that was it for her in the set. She lost her serve in the following game and the set was won by Arvidsson.

In the final set, both the players showed a lot of intensity, but, Arvidsson held her nerves in the last two games and won the final set by 7-5. Safarova’s service was broken thrice in the third set.

In the second round, Arvidsson will take on Lucie Hradecka of Czech Republic.