Mona Barthel will play in the final of the Moorilla Hobart International for the second consecutive year after overcoming Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in straight sets 6-4 6-4 on centre court tonight.
Flipkens came into this match with a 1-0 record over her opponent, winning their only other meeting in Quebec last September.
“We had one match last year and I lost it in two sets, two tie-breaks so I knew it was going to be a tough match,” said Barthel.
A tough match it was for the defending champion. She made a shaky start with a number of unforced errors handing Flipkens an early break. Barthel bounced back to level the scores in the next game courtesy of a lucky miss hit on break point that wrong footed an advancing Flipkens. The No.9 seed then lifted her game from there, serving two of her fouraces in the seventh game to maintain a 4-3 lead. The crucial break came in the tenth game of the match when Flipkens sent a couple of shots awry to hand Barthel the opening set.
Flipkens believes that is the game where it all came undone for her.
“At 5-4 in the first set I played three really easy unforced errors, three forehands and since then I didn’t feel the ball good at all anymore,” said Flipkens.
Barthel took the momentum from the first set into the second consolidating an early break to lead 2-0 before Flipkens recoverd to level the scores at 2-2.
Flipkens then looked like pushing the game to a third set when she broke the German’s serve in the seventh game of the second to open up a 4-3 lead. The world no. 51 just appeared to be hitting her stride, smashing a couple of big winners off Barthel’s serve before showing soft hands at the net to take the break.
Barthel responded in the following game with a couple of crushing backhands to steal the break straight back before holding serve to lead 5-4
Serving to stay in the match a determined Flipkens fought hard to save two match points at 5-4 in the second to level at deuce. All her hard work was then undone, handing the match point straight back with a wild forehand that flew well long of the baseline. Flipkens was again able to save match point, but it was a case of fourth time lucky for Barthel who made no mistake when given another chance to take the match.
Despite the loss, Flipkens believes she is in career best form and is expected to break the WTA top 50 in the coming weeks. Her attention now turns to the Australian Open.
“I think last week in Auckland I played quarterfinals this week I played semifinals so next week I play finals,” she joked.
Barthel on the other hand prepares for her second tilt at the Moorilla Hobart International title.
“It’s a little bit different as last year I was coming from qualies and it was my first final,” she said.
“This year it’s a little bit different, I was seeded, and I had a little bit more experience now, but of course it’s always excting to be in a final and to be again here in the final where I won my first WTA final is really great.”
Barthel will meet the unseeded Elena Vesnina of Russia in the final with the aim of becoming the first woman in the history of the tournament to win back to back Moorilla Hobart International titles.
By Nick Cuthbertson.