Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens backed up her impressive win over top seed and recently crowned French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig, a solid win over a potentially dangerous opponent, to book her place in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Mallorca Open.

Early Break Proves Decisive for the Belgian

After opening the match with an easy hold to 15, Flipkens was evidently in no mood to get pushed around by the powerful groundstrokes of Puig, taking the initiative and utilizing her variety to full effect en route to taking an early 2-0 lead. From there, twice Puig found herself ahead in Flipkens’ next service game, but twice the Belgian came back to deny the Puerto Rican a chance at a break back, holding and consolidating for a 3-0 lead. For the remainder of the set, the match would go with serve, with the server not facing a single break point until the ninth game, where Flipkens was serving for a one-set advantage leading 5-3, though the receiver did have numerous chances to create those elusive opportunities for a break. Serving to go a set to the good, the former Wimbledon semifinalist appeared to have everything under control when she earned herself a total of set points at different points in the ninth game but hit a roadblock when Puig suddenly raised her level; the Puerto Rican herself her first break point of the match. However, the order was quickly restored as Flipkens promptly saved the break point, before going on to claim the opening set on her third set point just moments later, winning it 6-3.

Kirsten Flipkens hits a forehand during her second round match against Monica Puig at the 2016 Mallorca Open. | Photo: Mallorca Open
Kirsten Flipkens hits a forehand during her second round match against Monica Puig at the 2016 Mallorca Open. | Photo: Mallorca Open

Flipkens Holds Her Nerve in Rollercoaster Second Set, Wins in Straight Sets

After an exchange of holds to begin the second set, it was unsurprisingly Flipkens who, once again, was able to take her opportunities when they presented themselves, breaking in the third game to go a set and 2-1 to the good. But the breaks didn’t stop there; following the first break of serve for either woman in eleven service games, the pair exchanged breaks until the sixth game, where Flipkens was finally able to consolidate her precious advantage, thus holding for a 4-2 lead. But to the credit of Puig, the Puerto Rican hung tough and managed to hold a game later in order to stay in touch with Flipkens. Eventually, her persistence from the receiving end was finally rewarded once more as she successfully broke for a second time, consequently getting back on level terms with the Belgian at four-games-apiece. Unfortunately for Puig, that would be the last of her successes in this second round clash as Flipkens wasted no time in breaking for the fourth time, before an easy hold to 15 sealed a comprehensive, yet extremely tight 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Flipkens to Meet Cepede Royg Next

With this victory, Flipkens will now meet Paraguay's Veronica Cepede Royg, who ousted seventh-seeded German Laura Siegemund 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in an intriguing two hour and 42-minute clash. The pair has never met before, but with Cepede Royg's flat hitting and Flipkens' menacing variety, this could prove to be quite the encounter.

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About the author
Max Gao
Max Gao is a sports writer specializing in tennis and the Toronto Blue Jays, who has also written on the Rogers Cup website as a guest contributor in the past.