R3: [6] Hania El Hammamy (Egy) 3-1 Tinne Gilis (Bel) 11-9, 11-4, 13-15, 11-9 (55m)
That’s one for the experience: Hania looked the likely winner, really dominating the Belgium that wasn’t doing much wrong really. And out of the blue, 4/0 in 3rd, whereas she was cruising, brain went dead, and she let her very determined and gifted not to mention very fit opponent back into the match, twice.
First in that 3rd, losing the game eventually on TInne’s 4th game ball but also in the fourth, 10/6 back to 9/10… In a 5th, anything could have happened with pressure…
Hania
I think I was playing well, really well, at the start of the 4th, I managed to play three volley drop shots I couldn’t play for the whole week last week during the CIB Finals, so I was feeling pretty pleased with myself, 4/0 up, and I just forgot about the rest of the game!!!
I’m not happy with the way I handled the situation, I will learn from it and I’m not about to do that again!
Tinne is such a great fighter, she improved a lot and I’m happy I managed to come back and contain such a good player in the end.
Tinne
I’m not disappointed, I’m very happy with the way I played this week.
I had played her in Chicago and it was in four as well. She just won two majors titles, she is on fire, so I went in with no pressure. I tried to move her around and make it as difficult for her that I could. I think I managed that.
She showed how fair player she is, she was 10/6 match ball, I came back to 9/10, and her ball went out of court. The ref didn’t see it and gave her the match. Hania said she wasn’t sure, so we played a let and I played such a stupid shot. But I would have been extremely angry if the match had finished on a wrong call.
So happy with how the match ended, thanks to her, and happy with my week.
