16/02/2018 – The Hungarian-French pair did not served well in the decisive tie-break.
QATAR TOTAL OPEN (2 897 250 USD, HARD COURT), DOUBLES, QUARTER-FINAL |
Andreja Klepač, María José Martínez Sánchez (Slovenian, Spanish, 8)-Tímea Babos, Kristina Mladenovic (Hungarian, French, 4) 6:2, 3:6, 10-6 |
The match lasted 1 hour 21 minutes in Doha.
The 4th seeded Hungarian-French pair played well only in the second set, and this time it was not enough for success.
In the 30-minute opening, the Slovenian-Spanish team won three times the opponent’s serve, they broke to 15, 40, and then to 30. Timi and Mladenovic got back with a break to 30, after 0:3, but they did not play well either.
The 38 minute second set was much tighter. Timi and Mladenovic were very much alert to their serves, after 1:1 they saved a break point. In the next game, Klepač and Martínez Sánchez also hold their own game to 40, and til 4:3, both pairs retained their serves.
In the eighth game, the Hungarian-French pair came close to a break, and they won that game after the Slovenian player’s double fault. The next game was won by Mladenovic from 30-40, so the decisive tie-break came.
Timi and Mladenovic won the point of the tie-break as a receiver, but later, they did not served well enough. The opponent has won six points as a receiver, and after 9-6 they finished the match behind the serve.
Next week Timi will play at the Hungarian Ladies Open in Budapest.