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Monday Mayhem: Anisimova and Mertens Kick Off Grass Season with Wins!
The grass court season is heating up, and Monday’s action at the HSBC Championships in London and the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, delivered some fantastic tennis!
London Calling: Anisimova’s Epic Comeback
At the HSBC Championships in London, American Amanda Anisimova, the No. 8 seed, pulled off a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Great Britain’s Jodie Burrage. Burrage came out firing, breaking Anisimova early to take the first set. But Anisimova, serving up 12 aces to Burrage’s nine, found her rhythm. She broke back, winning four of the last five games in the second set and the first three in the decider, shutting down the home crowd’s hopes for an upset. She also showed resilience, saving 3 of 6 break points, proving why she’s a strong contender, much like how detailed service plays for baseball (and tennis, of course!) can provide insights.
The London crowd also witnessed other three-set battles. Great Britain’s own Sonay Kartal defeated Australia’s Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, while Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia staged a fierce comeback against Czech opponent Petra Kvitova, winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Germany’s Tatjana Maria and Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova both advanced smoothly in straight sets.
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One match went long into the evening! Czech sixth seed Karolina Muchova took the first set 7-6 (5) against Australia’s Maddison Inglis, who then snagged the second 6-3 before darkness halted play. This match will conclude on Tuesday, promising more exciting action.
Dutch Dom Mertens & More Shine
Over at the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Belgium’s No. 3 seed Elise Mertens made quick work of Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, needing just 68 minutes for a dominant 6-4, 6-0 win. Mertens was in control, winning a majority of both her first-serve (20 of 29) and first-return points (19 of 32). Her performance is certainly one to watch for anyone interested in consistent winning strategies for sports.
Two other seeded players also advanced swiftly: New Zealand’s No. 7 Lulu Sun (6-1, 6-3 over the Netherlands’ Anouck Vrancken Peeters) and Russia’s No. 8 Veronika Kudermetova, who picked up her second win this year against her younger sister, Polina, 6-3, 6-3. China’s Yue Yuan, Russian Anna Blinkova, and Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto also moved on in straight sets.
