Pervak Saves Two Match Points to Advance in Budapest; Errani Cruises Again

By Chris Oddo

Photo Credit: Tennis Planet

(May 1, 2012)—Top seed Sara Errani continued to shine on the red clay today, notching her eleventh consecutive victory on the dirt against Mandy Minella of Luxembourg, 6-1, 6-1 at the Budapest Grand Prix.

Errani thoroughly dominated the world No. 86, winning 30 of 46 return points and converting 6 of 10 break points to clinch the breezy affair in 66 minutes.

“It’s not always easy in the first round but I was enjoying myself out on court and I’m happy I didn’t use up too much energy,” Errani said afterwards.

Errani hasn’t lost on clay since the semifinals at Monterrey, Mexico. Her 11-match win streak since then has included titles at Acapulco (d. Pennetta) and Barcelona (d. Cibulkova). She is currently fourth in the WTA with 23 wins in 2012, and is at a career-high ranking of 27.

The No. 2 seed, Ksenia Pervak of Russia, had a much more difficult time today.

Pervak reeled off the final four points of a third-set tiebreaker, erasing two match points in the process, to defeat Vera Dushevina in a wild affair, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(6).

The 20-year-old Russian-born Kazakh evened her season record at 8-8 with the win. She trailed 5-2 in the final set before forcing the tiebreak. Pervak had lost her only previous meeting with Dushevina (2010, New Haven).

The world No. 38 will face another Russian, Elena Vesnina, in the second round.

The only other seed in action today at Budapest was an upset victim, as no. 8-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu went down in three sets to Italian Alberta Brianti.

Elsewhere, qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova provided some match point magic of her own when she fended off three to eliminate Michaella Krajicek, 6--3, 3-6, 7-6(6).

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