Lucia Bronzetti immediately knocked out, no derby with Jasmine Paolini
Bitter debut for Lucia Bronzetti in the main draw of the “Dongfeng-Voyah Wuhan Open,” the last WTA 1000 of the season, featuring a prize pool of $3,654,963. The tournament is being played on the concrete courts in Wuhan, China, and is broadcast live on SuperTennis, SuperTennis Plus and SuperTenniX, the digital platform of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation.
The 26-year-old from Rimini, Villa Verucchio, No. 74 in the world rankings and coming from the qualifiers, was beaten 7-6(1) 7-6(1), after two hours and 21 minutes of play, by China’s Yue Yuan, No. 109 WTA, who was on the scoreboard thanks to a wild card. It was a balanced match in numbers – 18 winners and 17 unforced errors for Bronzetti, compared to 32 winners and 43 free errors for the home player – but in which the Chinese player showed a more aggressive and risky attitude, which proved decisive in the end.
In the first set, after three break points saved by Yuan in the opening game, it was the Italian who first gave up her serve (3-1). Bronzetti immediately finds the counter-break (3-2) and in the seventh game she also has two chances to extend, but the Chinese saves and keeps her head ahead (4-3). The balance held until the tie-break, where Yuan immediately took the lead (5-0) and closed 7-2.
In the second fraction, the Romagnola started well, snatching her serve from her opponent (2-0), but the Chinese player reacted with a partial of eight consecutive points (2-2). After a phase of continuous reversals, Yuan took advantage of a double fault by the Italian to place the break of 4-3, then confirmed to zero. Bronzetti nullified two match-points and managed to come back (5-5), but in the decisive tie-break the Chinese took the lead again and closed with authority (7-1).
For Bronzetti, the satisfaction of a good overall performance remains, despite the result, while Yue Yuan earns access to the second round, where she will face Jasmine Paolini, winner of all three previous direct clashes with the Chinese tennis player, including the one played in Wuhan itself last year.
