The returning Margarita Gasparyan continued her resurgence back to the top level of the women’s game as she defeated Kiki Bertens to secure her first ever win over a Top 10 player in Linz.
There was a lot on the line for Bertens. The Dutchwoman, who had only recently achieved a Top 10 ranking for the first time, really had a lot to play for as she tried to chase down qualification to a singles spot in the Year-End Championships in Singapore. The question really was whether Bertens could find that inner confidence in her game to be able to manage the pressure to deliver in what was a situation that the Dutchwoman had never been in before. She had entered the unknown.
Bertens started off brightly. As she showed in her previous round match against Barbara Haas, that she can really be tough to contain when the confidence is brimming and when the forehand is finding its mark. The former French Open semi-finalist can really take control of matches with that shot. Is it the most devastating on tour? No, but she wrestles control of points with it, which is always key. The break lead signified that she was continuing where she left off in a comfortable performance in the first round, but Bertens struggled tremendously to maintain and sustain the level required to come through the stiffest of competitors in Gasparyan.
Gasparyan really made the baseline battle a difficult one. Offering virtually no room for dips in her baseline game, taking the ball on the rise off the backhand side, dictating with the backhand crosscourt and trying to keep up an aggressive, favorable position in the rally. The Russian recognized that she could not risk being bullied by Bertens, so she competed well, but made sure she wasn’t too passive in the way that she approached the match. Gasparyan found herself a break down on two occasions in the first set, but made a remarkable recovery and that staged comeback set the tone for the remainder of the match in terms of the pressure that was on the shoulders for Bertens.
Yet again Bertens salvaged a break lead, and won six of the next eight games to win the second set and momentarily clinched the early break in the third set, but she did not totally look under control, at ease, and comfortable all match. Frustrations brewed, the racquet went flying quite a number of times and she simply could not move away from the mental freeze she was experiencing from winning positions. Gasparyan relished the fight and enjoyed being the underdog. Competing well, trying not to give an inch in the form of unforced errors and she ultimately handled the baseline pressure that much better than her higher-ranked opponent.
Gasparyan, who was away from the tour for two years, nursing a knee issues that required three surgeries, discussed the overriding feeling and emotions of beating a Top 10 player for the first time and revealed how she felt when she claimed that title in Tashkent last month.
“It is tough to explain. It is an incredible feeling. I’m not surprised, but I work really hard and for me I cannot say that it is normal, but I really deserve it. Tashkent was an amazing tournament for me. It was my first title after a really long time. So I’m really happy to continue winning the matches and it is really important for me to get more confidence than before, so yeah.
Before Gasparyan’s winning streak she played the US Open, which was her first Grand Slam match in two years. The Russian comeback kid talked about that moment, playing a former World No.1 on the biggest stage.
“It was something very special for me, because it was first round against a really, really amazing player. Big stadium. So really nice feelings. Of course I was nervous, but I really wanted to play and fighting for every point. I played really well, so yeah.”
Gasparyan now continues on a seven match winning run and will now play Italy’s Camila Giorgi for a place in the Linz semifinal.
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The returning Margarita Gasparyan continued her resurgence back to the top level of the women’s game as she defeated Kiki Bertens
