Bovina Avoids Upset on Acura Classic Kid’s Day

How appropriate that a teenager would play the opening match on Stadium Court on Kid’s Day at the Acura Classic.

Fifteen-year-old Coco Vandeweghe, who lives in nearby Rancho Santa Fe, gave it a good shot, but ultimately fell to Russian Elena Bovina, 6-3, 7-5, in a tightly-contested first-round match which took one-hour and 25 minutes.

Bovina, a tour veteran who returned to the tour late last year after missing the second half of 2005 and most of 2006, held serve to open the match and then took advantage of two Vandeweghe double faults to break serve and take a 2-0 lead.

The Russian would eventually establish a 5-2 lead and put the first set away when she served it out at love.

In the second set, it was the youngster taking the early advantage as Vandeweghe opened the set with a love service game. She would break Bovina’s serve later in the set and would go on to take leads of 4-1 and 5-2.  

As Bovina served to stay in the set, Vandeweghe gained her first and only set point, but wasted the opportunity as she hit a forehand service return long.

Bovina went on to hold serve and then broke serve in the following game when Vandeweghe sent a cross court backhand wide on break point.

Serving at 4-5, Bovina easily held in a love service game as Vandeweghe committed three service return errors.

With Bovina stepping up her service returns, she easily broke Vandeweghe’s serve to take a 6-5 lead.

Despite opening the next game with two double faults, Bovina served out the match. On match point, she hit a cross court backhand passing shot, which Vandeweghe netted with a backhand volley.

• Bovina advances to the second round where she will meet fellow Russian Nadia Petrova.
• Bovina is ranked 897 in the world. She was ranked as high at 14 (Apr. 2005).
• Bovina was granted a special ranking for entry purposes after suffering injuries which limited her play in 2005 and 2006.
• Bovina reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 US Open and 4th round of the 2005 French Open.
• Bovina is making her fourth career Acura Classic appearance. She reached the third round here in 2003 and 2004.
• Bovina has represented Russia in Fed Cup play.
• This was the first career head-to-head meeting between Bovina and Vandeweghe.
• Vandeweghe entered the main draw as a wildcard entrant.
• Vandeweghe won the Acura Classic Opportunity tournament in San Clemente in early July.
• Vandeweghe is ranked 835 in the world.
• This past May, Vandeweghe reached the semifinals of a $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit event in El Paso.

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