Sports > Tennis > REZAI KNOCKED OUT OF WIMBLEDON IN 3RD ROUND BY AFSHIN DASTAFSHAN
Aravane Rezai On Her Wimbledon Debut
|
| |
|
The French Iranian rising star Aravane Rezai ranked 60th in the world was knocked out of Wimbledon 2007 Tennis Championship in the third round on July 2nd. On her Wimbledon debut Rezai saw off the American Shenay Perry in the first round 6-2, 7-6 before beating the 29th seed Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to earn a third round encounter with the 6th seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.
Ivanovic 1.83 m tall had height advantage over Rezai 1.65 m tall. Rezai’s third round match started on Saturday June 30th with Ivanovic winning the first set 6-3 before rain stopped play, Rezai got off to a good start in the first set but her double faults on game point proved costly in the second game, this was followed by a double fault at break point which handed the advantage to Ivanovic.
The match resumed on Monday July 2nd but despite Rezai’s brave efforts breaking Ivanovic’s serve once her opponent won the second set 6-2, Ivanovic broke Rezai’s serve 3 times in the second set to secure the match 6-3, 6-2. Rezai won 59% of her first serves in this match compared with 72% won by Ivanovic, Rezai had 7 double faults compared with one double fault by Ivanovic.
Rezai has a remarkably good Grand Slam record for a player who has won just 18 career matches on the WTA Tour. In 2006 she reached the third round at Roland Garros and the fourth round of US Open. But she has won just five matches this year, which surely played a part in this match, her first senior outing at the All England Club.
|
This was a good run by Rezai on her Wimbledon debut which is famous for it’s grass courts and known to be one of the toughest if not the toughest tennis tournament in the world. The Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon have developed from the garden party atmosphere of the first meeting in 1877, witnessed by a few hundred spectators, to a highly professional tournament attracting an attendance of almost half a million people.
Throughout the tournament Aravane Rezai was wearing her famous Iran map necklace; the map of Iran caught my eyes from the outset, for Aravane to wear this necklace during her matches made me even more proud of her as a fellow Iranian. Aravane was born in Saint-Étienne, France to Iranian parents Arsalan and Nouchine, she has ensured her Iranian background is known by all. Aravane started to play Tennis at the age of 7; she is coached by her father Mr Arsalan Rezaï, Aravane turned pro in 2005. Aravane won 2 medals in tennis at Muslim Women Olympic Games in Iran; she can speak French, Persian and English. Needless to say she is a fan of fellow Iranian player and former Wimbledon champion Andre Agassi.
We wish Aravane well in her tennis career and look forward to seeing her back at Wimbledon next year.
|
|
|
|
