05-24-2022, 01:27 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-24-2022, 02:10 PM by ColoradoTree.)
Yepifanova's match is on Court 11, FYI. I joined when Yepifanova was serving up 4-3 (she got broken), and then she broke back to give her a chance to serve out the set, and at 40-40 (set point/deciding point), Stearns broke her again to get to 5-5 and just held easily to go up 6-5. Sasha is now serving to force a tiebreaker.
Frustrating that she didn't capitalize on that opportunity up 5-4, 40-40, because who knows how many more of those she'll get against a player like Stearns.
And Stearns breaks her again. Easily. Stearns takes the first set 7-5. Sigh.
Down 0-2 in the second, Yepifanova breaks to get back on serve, but she can't do anything with it--her serve isn't terribly powerful today and Stearns is feasting on it. Broken at love and she trails 5-7, 1-3. Sasha's return game has been excellent, but it's awfully hard to win if you can't hold serve.
And right on cue, she breaks Stearns again to get the second set back on serve at 2-3. Can she hold for once and get something started?
Out of nowhere, Yepifanova brings the pain on the serve and holds at love! 3-3. Can she now go up a break?
She breaks Stearns at love and now leads 4-3. Keep it going, Sasha! Force that third set!
Yepifanova goes down 0-40, gets back to deciding point, and then Stearns takes it and it's 4-4. Sigh.
Yepifanova breaks Stearns at love again and is serving for the set, up 5-4. Come on!
She goes up 40-15 for three set points. Then 40-30. And then Sasha dumps a forehand into the net and it's deciding point.... And she double faults! OH MAN. Now 5-5. Just awful.
And, of course, the momentum swing gives Stearns a boost of energy and she holds for the first time in a while to go one game away. Yepifanova again goes from set points on her serve to trying to force a tiebreaker.
She goes up 40-30 on her serve, Stearns hits a nice passing shot to force a massive deciding point/match point, and thankfully Stearns sprays it wide and we'll have a tiebreaker for the second set.
Frustrating that she didn't capitalize on that opportunity up 5-4, 40-40, because who knows how many more of those she'll get against a player like Stearns.
And Stearns breaks her again. Easily. Stearns takes the first set 7-5. Sigh.
Down 0-2 in the second, Yepifanova breaks to get back on serve, but she can't do anything with it--her serve isn't terribly powerful today and Stearns is feasting on it. Broken at love and she trails 5-7, 1-3. Sasha's return game has been excellent, but it's awfully hard to win if you can't hold serve.
And right on cue, she breaks Stearns again to get the second set back on serve at 2-3. Can she hold for once and get something started?
Out of nowhere, Yepifanova brings the pain on the serve and holds at love! 3-3. Can she now go up a break?
She breaks Stearns at love and now leads 4-3. Keep it going, Sasha! Force that third set!
Yepifanova goes down 0-40, gets back to deciding point, and then Stearns takes it and it's 4-4. Sigh.
Yepifanova breaks Stearns at love again and is serving for the set, up 5-4. Come on!
She goes up 40-15 for three set points. Then 40-30. And then Sasha dumps a forehand into the net and it's deciding point.... And she double faults! OH MAN. Now 5-5. Just awful.
And, of course, the momentum swing gives Stearns a boost of energy and she holds for the first time in a while to go one game away. Yepifanova again goes from set points on her serve to trying to force a tiebreaker.
She goes up 40-30 on her serve, Stearns hits a nice passing shot to force a massive deciding point/match point, and thankfully Stearns sprays it wide and we'll have a tiebreaker for the second set.