Kanepi survives two choking sessions to defeat Wozniacki in third round of Roland Garros

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Wilson Blade 9

Kaia Kanepi survived one immense choking session and one regular-size choking session to beat Caroline Wozniacki in the third round of Roland Garros 6-1 6-7(3) 6-3 on the fifth match point.

Let’s first mention the timing of the match points, it will explain quite a lot about the match. The first two Kanepi had when leading 6-1 5-2, the third one came like an hour later, at 5-1 in the third set, and Kanepi double faulted to continue the agony! At 5-3 in the third set she earned the fourth one, which Wozniacki saved with a nice winner, and in that same game Kanepi finally converted a match point, her fifth one. Kanepi was serving for the match five times during the encounter!

Here’s how it all began. Kanepi raced to a 6-1 5-1 lead in the match. Wozniacki then won a perfect game on her serve, but I thought that would be just a short defense of pride as Kanepi was serving for the match in the following game. However, the outcome turned out to be quite
different. Leading 6-1 5-2 30-0, Kanepi missed a sure point on the net and her choking session began, which turned into a huge choking session. 

The Estonian 23rd seed wasted two match points in that game and since saving the second match point Wozniacki won 14 straight points until leading 5-5 40-0 in the second set. In that game Kanepi broke Wozniacki, though, and again served for the match, but Wozniacki again recovered, forced the tiebreak and won it 7-3.

In the third set, believe it or not, Kanepi again went ahead 5-1 and yet again she couldn’t serve it out and that’s when the second choking session took place. Finally, at 5-3 Kanepi finished the job and took out the ninth seed.

Kanepi’s opponent in the fourth round will be Arantxa Rus, who upset seed No.25 Julia Goerges 7-6(5) 2-6 6-2. (photos: Stephane Martinache, sr_cranks)

5 COMMENTS

  1. In my opinion.match was pretty interesting.Caro once again showed why she has quality to be a top 10 player.Credit to Kaia,as it isn’t easy to win after such a choke.

  2. I think that part of Kaia’s problem can be sensed if one takes a look at some of her interviews. It’s hard to imagine a sweeter, gentler, friendlier or more unassuming girl, still shy at 26 and after all experience and interviews at professional level she’s been through. Such qualities and “killer’s instinct” are as good as mutually exclusive.
    (Look, for instance, at the case of Samantha Stosur: she went through two years of heavy sessions with a sports-psychologist before she got (some) grip on the “problem” of being “too good” a person!)
    All in all, what we’ve witnessed today was a really a double victory. Love Kaia.

  3. After the end of the second set, I was really believing that Caro would take the match and Kaia would crumble in the third. That was not at all the case. Disappointing for and disappointed by Caro but respect to Kaia.

  4. I also thought that Caro would take it all to her hands but I think that she woke up a bit too late in the second set and also in third and simply was too drained to focus.

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