Myskina Provides Russian Fightback
27 Nov 2004 - Krylatskoe Ice Stadium, Moscow, RUS - Jo Sirman - RUS v FRA
Myskina Provides Russian Fightback
Anastasia Myskina drew the hosts level at the end of the first day's play
in the Fed Cup Final, defeating Tatiana Golovin 64 76(5) in a match that
very nearly went to a third set.
Golovin took a 3-0 lead in the first set before her more experienced opponent
got ahead. In the second set, the French girl recovered from a break down and
Myskina had to save four set points serving at 5-6 before the subsequent
tiebreak, in which the Roland Garros champion came back from 1-4 down to
take the match on her first match point.
"I was a bit nervous because I hadn't played Tatiana before, I didn't know
what her weaknesses and strong points were,팠Myskina said, and it showed.
At times the world No. 3 let out her frustration at her own mistakes, which
forced her to work harder for the victory. However her greater maturity and
experience in big matches eventually saw her through.
With the crowd, and probably Myskina, still reeling from their team's loss
in the opening match, Golovin made the first break of the match but the
Russian rallied, breaking in the fifth and seventh games. Golovin had four
points to draw level in the deciding game of the first set, but Myskina dug
deep to win it.
In the second set, Myskina took a 4-2 lead, but the Moscow-born Golovin made
the most of her opponent's errors to break back for 4-4. As Kuznetsova had in
the previous match, Myskina threw her racket on the ground in anger.
Golovin won her next service game to love after a catalogue of errors from
Myskina, and the Russian missed chances to break in the game after that.
Serving at 5-6, Myskina slipped to 0-40 but clawed back to deuce, and then
saved another break point with a stunning cross-court volley that clipped
the line.
When Golovin rushed to 4-1 up in the tiebreak, the match looked to be going
the way of the opening singles, in which Dechy had come back from a set
behind. But this time Myskina was too strong, winning six of the next seven
points and clinching victory when Golovin sent down a long return.
"I agree she played good tennis today, but you have to show consistency
and not play great tennis just one day a year," said Myskina when asked
about her young opponent and the fighting qualities that have catapulted
her into the world's top 30 in 2004. She couldn't resist adding, "By the way,
she was also born in Russia."
Looking ahead to Kuznetsova's match with Golovin in the second singles on
Sunday, Myskina said, "I would just advise for Svetlana to keep fighting.
It will be tough for a 16-year-old like Tatiana, I don't think she has the
character for it yet."
"Despite her defeat, Svetlana played great tennis and I think tomorrow
everything will be fine for her."
A 1-1 scoreline may not be what the Russians had expected, but the hosts
are publicly keeping their cool. Had they perhaps expected two easy wins
on the first day? "The fact that they [the French] were not favourites
had nothing to do with the fact that they played well and with more
confidence," said Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev.
With Kuznetsova badly shaken from her loss to Dechy, Tarpischev thinks,
"She will either play a really great match tomorrow or really badly."
Sunday's matches are now crucial as France bids to win its second successive
Fed Cup title and Russia battles to lift the trophy for the first time. Play
gets underway at 13:00 local time, with two reverse singles matches and the
doubles match on the schedule. Player nominations can still be changed ahead
of the matches.
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