Donna Vekic kicked off the United Cup Perth City Final on Wednesday with an emphatic 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Despina Papamichail in just 64 minutes, giving Team Croatia a 1-0 lead against Team Greece.
The No. 158-ranked Papamichail had impressed in her United Cup campaign so far, pulling out a three-set win over Isabella Shinikova on Day 1 and then delivering a superb performance in defeat against Alison Van Uytvanck. But the 29-year-old had few answers to Vekic's relentless power.
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Papamichail showed off her trademark grit in the first game, saving four break points for an early hold. But Vekic converted her sixth break point of the day in the third game, winning a rally that featured net cords and a cat-and-mouse volley exchange before Papamichail put a smash wide.
Thereafter, Vekic settled and began to dominate. The former WTA No.19's return was in fiery form, particularly on the off forehand, one of which captured another break for 5-2. She leavened her power with finesse, too, with the drop shot proving increasingly successful.
The second set was near-flawless from the Croatian, who conceded only eight points and did not face a game point during it. With the first point sealed for her team, Vekic's teammate Borna Coric will seek to reprise his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in last August's Cincinnati final to make it 2-0.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/vGStNLs
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