US Open

Ana wasn’t able to win her first match in two years at the US Open as she fell again in the opener, this time to Czech Denisa Allertova 7-6 (7-6), 6-1 in the first contest of the day at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

It was Ana’s fourth consecutive loss in the first round after her quarter-finals finish in Mallorca back in June. Her best result at Flushing Meadows came in 2012, when she reached the quarter-finals.

Ana broke Allertova’s serve in the opening game and held her own thanks to a beautiful forehand passing-shot. She later enjoyed a 3-1 lead after winning a tough seven-minute game and served 5-4 to close out the set. Allertova played smart tennis and got the break back, but then Ana hit a couple of winners to gain another shot at the first set.

The 29th seed missed the golden opportunity when her forehand went wide at set point. From then on, the match took a dramatic turn. Ana couldn’t hold her serve and lost the tie-break, as Allertova won the key points. Two backhand errors by Ana sealed that first set.

Both players showed a similar style of play, both wanted to hit the flat forehand to make the opponent run, but it was Allertova who committed fewer mistakes. The Czech broke serve in the first game of the second set and never looked back. The first set had been decisive. Ana double-faulted to give her opponent a 4-1 lead and wasn’t able to recover.

After 79 minutes, Allertova celebrated the victory thanks to another forehand winner. Ana finished the match with 41 unforced errors and seven double faults.

Results:

Ana vs. D. Allertova (CZE) 6-7 (4-7), 1-6