World No.15 Roberta Vinci has made a shock exit from the Australian Open after losing 0-6,6-4,6-4, to Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam.
Taking the first set in exactly 30 minutes, the 2015 US Open runner-up appeared on course to reaching the fourth round in Melbourne. Things started to unravel for the Italian at the start of the second set as her serve began to become more inconsistent against a increasingly confident Friedsam. The German claimed four consecutive games on route to clinching the opening set. The biggest difference for Vinci between the first and second set was her first service winning rate (91% compared to just 55% in the second).
The final set was a close encounter between the two players with four breaks of serve occurring during the first six games of the final set. After battling to level at 3-3, the Italian received another blow when she was broken to love. The latest blow was the final nail of Vinci’s 2015 Australian Open campaign. As Friedsam edged to just one game away from the win, the German took the win by serving it out to love.
Speaking to the media after her loss, Vinci said her forehand let her down. She also admitted that she wasn’t as aggressive as she wanted to be.
Today’s surprise win over Vinci will take Frioedsam into her first Grand Slam fourth round. Last year the 21-year-old reached the second round at the French Open and Wimbledon. Prior to her match against Vinci, Friedsam said she watched highlights of Vinci’s US Open win against Serena Williams last year.
In the next round the German will face a tough encounter against Agnieszka Radwanska. It will be their second meeting of the year after the German lost in straight sets to Radwanska at the Shenzhen Open two weeks ago.
