Defending champion Daria Kasatkina overcame a massive scare to defeat Christina McHale 6-3 3-6 6-2 and earn a place in the third round in Charleston.
The Russian, who thrashed Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-1 in last year’s final, was 3-0 down in the first set and 2-0 down in the decider but managed to battle back and win both sets.
When Kasatkina was asked in her on-court interview what got her through the match, she replied: “Only the fighting spirit. Nothing else.”
With her exceptional movement and all-round shot-making abilities, the Russian, 20, has the perfect game to launch a comeback.
But she still had to draw on every ounce of determination and character she had to turn things around. When she fell behind in the first set, she called for her coach Philippe Dehaes and told him she was really nervous.
Dehaes managed to calm Kasatkina down and she gradually played her way into an excellent rhythm that enabled her to reel off six straight games and take the first set. The highlight of the Russian’s comeback was a breathtaking forehand she slammed from above her head into the corner of the court to earn her third break.
Kasatkina the fighter
Kasatkina struggled to maintain that high level and the second set quickly got away from her. It looked like the same thing would happen with the match too as McHale opened up a 2-0 lead in the decider.
But the Russian refused to give in and she turned the match on its head once again to storm through six consecutive games and clinch victory.
It was a strange match in many ways as neither player produced their best for very long and both Kasatkina and McHale made more than 40 unforced errors. Nevertheless, the result always seemed to depend on what the Russian did and she got the job done in the end.
“Nothing is easy in this life,” said Kasatkina in her on-court interview. “It was very tough. Thanks to my coach that he came on court and brought me back to (focus on) the court. It’s tough to come and defend the title but I’m happy to be in Charleston.”
