Shaughnessy Dominates Poutchkova to Advance

In a first-round match between two unseeded players, Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States eliminated Russian Olga Poutchkova, 6-3, 6-1, to advance to the second round of the 2007 Acura Classic.

Playing under mostly overcast skies on Stadium Court at the La Costa Resort and Spa, Shaughnessy put on an impressive performance in winning the match, which took 1 hour and 23 minutes to complete.

The match began with four breaks of serve, but Shaughnessy held serve and went on to establish  a 5-3 lead.  Serving for the first set, she took a 40-0 lead but Poutchkova came back to win three straight points to take the game to deuce. After going to deuce three times, Shaughnessy held serve to win the set, which took 56 minutes.

Despite serving four double faults, the Russian held serve to open the second set, but she would only win six points the rest of the set.

With a 2-1 lead, Shaughnessy fired three straight aces and eventually ran away with the set, which took 28 minutes.

Poutchkova served at 1-5 to stay in the match, but she began the game with a double fault and then committed a backhand error and two forehand errors to fall behind 40-0.

Shaughnessy, who had seven aces in the match, wasted little time in closing the match as she hit a clean cross court forehand service return for a winner on match point.

The American took advantage of Poutchkova’s 13 double faults as she broke the Russian six times during the match.

• Shaughnessy advances to a second round match against third-seeded Anna Chakvetadze.
• Shaughnessy is ranked 43 in the world.
• This was the first head-to-head meeting between the two players.
• Shaughnessy reached the quarterfinals of the 2003 Australian Open.
• Shaughnessy has been ranked as high as 11 in the world (Sept. 2001).
• Shaughnessy is making her eighth career Acura Classic appearance.
• Poutchkova is ranked 38 in the world.
• Poutchkova was making her Acura Classic debut.

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