Alexandra Krunic fought back from a 0-6 1-4 deficit to upset Elina Svitolina 0-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in the first round of the China Open in Beijing.
The Serbian player dropped 10 of the first 11 games to trail 0-6 1-. She was broken in the second game of the second set but she produced a remarkable come-back by winning the next seven games to build up a 0-6 6-4 2-0 lead. Krunic was just two points from 1-5 at 30-30 in the sixth game before she started her come-back with a double break in the seventh and ninth games to win the second set 6-4.
Krunic got an immediate break of the third set in the first game at 15. Svitolina broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Both players traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games to draw level to 3-3. After four holds of serve Krunic claimed the break in the 11th game at 30 to take a 6-5 lead to earn the chance to serve for the match, but Svitolina broke straight back on her fourth chance to force the match to the decisive tie-break, where Krunic prevailed by 7-4.
Daria Gavrilova scored her second win over a Grand Slam champion beating Petra Kvitova 6-2 6-1 just one week after defeating Daria Gavrilova in Wuhan. The Australian player got a double break at deuce to race out to a 4-1 lead. Kvitova pulled one of the two break back in the sixth game after two deuces. Gavrilova broke again at love for 5-2. She served out for the first set at deuce after saving three break points. Gavrilova went up a double break in the second set, when Kvitova made five double faults. The Aussie player closed out on her fourth match point after a marathon eight deuce seventh game.
“I think I played a really good match today. Petra is a really tough opponent. It was a little bit tricky, but I felt like I took my chances and I served really well today”,said Gavrilova.
