| By Erik Gudris |
Photo Credit: Natasha Peterson |
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(March 11th, 2012) With steady results leading her to being a top 32 seed at this year's BNP Paribas Open, New Jersey's Christina McHale proved she was player to watch for 2012. But her unexpected win over a woman some consider a future No. 1 became the highlight of day five at Indian Wells.
On a day dominated by news of a gastrointestinal virus sweeping through the Coachella Valley of Southern California, fans were still treated to a full day of tennis despite several players, including Vania King and Vera Zvonareva, having to withdraw from their third round matches due to illness.
Top seed Victoria Azarenka improved her current winning streak to 19-0 with a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of No. 25 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. Despite the Russian having a few winning moments during the nearly hour-long match, Azarenka, after dropping her opening service game of the match, didn't give Kuznetsova any opportunities after that to break her en route to victory. Azarenka now faces Germany's Julia Goerges in the fourth round.
But it was the first time meeting between Christina McHale and current Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova that provided the highlight of the day. Despite Kvitova only dropping one point on her serve during the entire first set, McHale stayed close with the heavy-hitting Czech in the second set while keeping the pressure on by serving well herself, including several aces.
At 3-2, Kvitova hit a sitter overhead long and then followed it up with a backhand error to give McHale a break for 4-2. That was only the beginning of Kvitova's walkabout as she continued spewing unforced errors, 18 for the set, to allow McHale to force things to a decider.
McHale fought off early break points against her at the start of the final set while Kvitova's first serve speed dropped below 90mph. When a clearly slumping Kvitova, still dealing with the aftereffects of a virus she picked up in the Middle East last month, dropped serve at love to go down 1-3, it appeared the match was McHale's to lose. But Kvitova fought back with some screaming down the line backhand winners to break back to 3-4, but a costly double fault from the Czech on break point during her next service game gave McHale the opportunity to serve out the match at 5-3.
Touching her racquet against the backboard as if to calm herself, McHale served her way to a 40-love lead. On her first match point, an extended rally from both women was ended when McHale hit a slice backhand drop shot winner that ended the match giving the American a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory. McHale now faces Germany's Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.
Other winners yesterday included China's Li Na over countrywoman Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-3, Agnieszka Radwanska grinded past Italy's Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-2 and American wildcard Jaime Hampton pulled off another upset, this time against Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 6-2, 6-7, 6-2.