United Cup: Caroline Garcia keeps French hopes alive with win over Petra Martic

Perth [Australia], January 3 (ANI): WTA Finals winner Caroline Garcia produced a stunning under-pressure performance for defeating Petra Martic in a must-win United Cup match to keep France’s hopes of advancing to the Finals alive.

Caroline Garcia triumphed in a must-win rubber to defeat Petra Martic 7-6(9), 6-4 on Tuesday, Croatia had a 2-0 lead overnight thanks to victories by Donna Vekic and Borna Coric, but Garcia entered her match with Martic with a promising 4-1 head-to-head record. The WTA Finals champion followed up by extending the lead to 5-1, denying Martic the opportunity to clinch the match for her team.

The first set was decided by the thinnest of margins, which was fitting for a contest between two of the best servers on tour. Martic created more chances on return in the first 12 games, using her sliced backhand to great effect, including a lofted lob that left Garcia flailing.

Garcia needed her best serves to save break points in the first and ninth games; by contrast, Martic conceded only four points behind her delivery through the first 12 games, despite serving second. The subsequent tiebreak was a thrilling microcosm of the entire match. The momentum shifted back and forth between the two players, and Garcia needed to save one set point at 6-7 before converting her fifth with a short forehand.

Garcia still had to save two break points at the start of the second set, but that was her last chance. In the following game, she broke Martic to love and sealed the game by rushing forwards off her return and finding a volley winner that clipped the net on its way into the open court. The Frenchwoman, who had seven aces among her 33 total winners, would only drop four more points on serve as she maintained her lead until the match’s end.