2015 French Open finalist Lucie Safarova successfully came back from a set down in the second round of Indian Wells against No. 20 seed Coco Vandeweghe. The final score was 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Very impressive win by Safarova in the end. Did well to grind out the second and fend off early challenge in the third. #BNPPO17
— wtaaddict (@wtaaddict) March 12, 2017
Safarova’s strokes were not sharp in the first game, and it cost her, as Vandeweghe broke her serve at love before holding to take a 2-0 lead.
The players exchanged holds for the remainder of the set, meaning Vandeweghe would win it 6-4.
At 3-3 in the second, Safarova missed an easy forehand to go down 30-40 on her serve, and was therefore a point away from trailing by a set and a break. However, she managed to serve her way out of trouble and keep the set on serve.
A couple of games later, Vandeweghe was down 4-5 and serving to stay in the set. She got off to a 40-0 start, earning herself three game points. But she made two consecutive double faults, and Safarova hit a forehand volley winner from no man’s land, making it deuce.
The game went to deuce twice more before Vandeweghe double-faulted again and threw her racket on the ground. Then on break/set point, Safarova hit a forehand return winner down the line, prompting Vandeweghe to throw her racket again, this time breaking it. Then she slammed it one more time for good measure. Safarova won the set 6-4.
Third set!@LucieSafarova battles back to force the decider vs Vandeweghe 4-6, 6-4! #BNPPO17 pic.twitter.com/olpO75F8sQ
— wta (@WTA) March 12, 2017
Safarova served to start the decider. Vandeweghe had six break points in the opening game, but Safarova fought them all off with her lefty serve and forehand. The Czech won the game when Vandeweghe swung and missed on an overhead.
After the changeover, Vandeweghe found her composure and held at love to tie the set at 1.
On Vandeweghe’s next service game, Vandeweghe found herself behind 0-40. She hit an unreturned serve to eliminate one of Safarova’s three break points, but Safarova hit a winner on the next one to go up 3-1.
Safarova, on her attempt to consolidate, missed a forehand long at deuce. Vandeweghe, who had just earned a break-back point, let out a loud, “Come on!”
But on that break point, Safarova deflected the American’s pace and hit a forehand winner to bring it back to deuce. On ad in, Safarova used her lefty serve to slice an ace for 4-1.
Safarova had two break points in the next game. She won the second one when Vandeweghe netted a forehand.
Safarova then served out the match with a love hold, hitting an ace on match point right through the corner of the box to complete the breadstick.
Safarova’s third-round match be be against Venus Williams, who mounted an even greater comeback earlier in the day over Jelena Jankovic.
