Hantuchova struggles in second set before ousting qualifier
BALI, Indonesia -- Top-seeded Daniela Hantuchova struggled at times in her 6-1, 7-5 victory against Ukrainian qualifier Olga Savchuk to reach the quarterfinals of the Bali Classic on Wednesday.
The Slovak dominated the first set, breaking her opponent to love in the opening game and using her powerful forehand to produce a succession of outright winners and force Savchuk to commit errors.
But after surrendering just three points on serve in the first set, Hantuchova failed to carry her momentum into the second. She had to fight off two break points to hold for 1-0 and another two before holding the seventh game.
Savchuk, ranked 121st, then broke to lead 5-4, but failed to capitalize on her opportunity when she hit a volley long after the ball had stood up perfectly for her to strike a winner.
Encouraged by that reprieve, Hantuchova then broke again for the match with a cross-court winner.
"She was more aggressive on her service games in the second set and was tough to break," Hantuchova told reporters. "It was a good test for me and I felt like I handled the big points pretty well."
Second-seeded Patty Schnyder also was tested in the second set by China's Meng Yuan before winning 6-2, 7-5. The Swiss left-hander was threatened briefly when Meng broke to lead 2-1, but Schnyder immediately recovered the break when Meng struck a double-fault.
After failing to serve out the match at 5-3, play was interrupted by rain as Schnyder held match point on Meng's serve at 6-5. When play resumed, Schnyder closed out the match on her third match point.
In other matches, fifth-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone beat Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-2, and Poland's Marta Domachowska also reached the quarterfinals, overcoming American Jill Craybas 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.
