The future of New Zealand women’s tennis will be on show in the final of the New Zealand Championships at Albany tomorrow. Following this week’s retirement of long time Kiwi number one Marina Erakovic, a 21 year old and a 17 year old will contest the title decider.
21-year-old top seed Paige Hourigan is through to play 17 year old 3rd seed Valentina Ivanov and on the evidence of their semi-final performances, both players look to have a promising future.
Georgia Tech graduate Hourigan has withstood a tremendous challenge from 17 year old 4th seed Elys Ventura, winning 6-2, 6-7 (6) 6-4.
A double break in the first set had Hourigan on top early on before her tenacious opponent got a foothold in the match in the second set and threatened to cause a monumental upset.
Games went with serve and after Ventura saved one match point in the 10th game on her serve, she had three break points in Hourigan’s next service game but couldn’t convert. The set went to a tie break with Ventura rallying from 4-1 down to win it 8-6. She quickly went up a break in the decider as Hourigan’s service game disintegrated and Ventura raced to a 4-1 lead. But in a match that ebbed and flowed Hourigan won the next two games to love to get back on serve. A tense hold followed for Hourigan before she broke Ventura in the next game and then held serve to close out the match.
Hourigan had won her first ITF Futures title in Portugal in July before returning to college in the US to finish her degree. She has a current WTA singles ranking of 557. Ventura was runner up to Ivanov in the New Zealand Junior Championships last week.
Sydney based Ivanov will contest her first New Zealand Tennis Championships final after a come from behind win over second seed Erin Routliffe in the earlier semi-final.
The 17 year old Sydney based Kiwi won 4-6, 6-1,6-2 in 1 hour 40 over the 23 year old Canadian based player.
The first set was tight bar for one loose game from Ivanov who was broken in her second service game for 1-3. The third seed held her next three service games to love but couldn’t make an impression on the Routliffe serve. However serving for the first set at 5-4 Routliffe served two double faults allowing Ivanov a first break back point. But she couldn’t convert as Routliffe served big to win the next three points and close out the set.
The Canadian based Kiwi had the first chances to break in the second set having Ivanov at 15-40 in her second service game but she kept her composure to hold. Routliffe served three double faults in a row in the next game to hand Ivanov three break points and she converted with her first opportunity as Routliffe netted a timid forehand. The youngster proceeded to race through the set 6-1 after breaking Routliffe again in the 6th game and going on to close out the set in 25 minutes. The match went to a deciding third set.
Routliffe dug herself out of a hole in the opening game of the second set and then rifled a couple of winners past Ivanov in the next game to have the 17 year old at 0-30. But as Routliffe did the game prior she dug deep to hold. Games went with serve until the 5th game when Routliffe was called for a foot fault at 30-30 and although she saved the first, a poor drop shot handed Ivanov a second chance and she made no mistake. Ivanov held serve for the remainder of the match to close out the set 6-2 and a place in the final.
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