Rabat: Jeanjean returns to victory

Léolia Jeanjean holds her first victory of the year on the main WTA circuit. After failing to enter the Australian Open but also in Mérida then in Monterrey, the 125th player in the world passed the first round in Rabat at the expense of Gabriela Lee. A meeting that began with a disjointed first set. Indeed, if the first three games were won without difficulty by the one who was serving, the breaks were then chained.

Eight of the following nine games ended in loss of service with, along the way, no less than three set points missed by the Belgian with five games to four in her favor. Léolia Jeanjean also missed the mark at the gates of the decisive game, once again losing her face-off. The tiebreak started on the same basis with the two players who chained the points lost on their engagement. However, it was the Habs who knew how to make the difference and, at the first set point, take the lead in this meeting.

Jeanjean ended up having the last word

The second set started on the same basis, with three service games lost from the start, allowing Gabriela Lee to race in the lead. However, the 372nd player in the world ended up giving in but not without a fight. Indeed, it was on the fifth opportunity that Léolia Jeanjean equalized four games everywhere before losing ground at the very last moment. Taking the service of the French again as a new decisive game took shape, the Belgian did not tremble when equalizing at one set everywhere.

The last set was no exception to the rule with both players losing their first service game. Gabriela Lee then had an opportunity to regain the advantage but failed to seize it. Léolia Jeanjean, meanwhile, did not waver when she had the opportunity to take her opponent’s serve and then engage to put an end to the match. It was on a white game that the Habs achieved it (7-6, 5-7, 6-3 in 3h00 ‘)with the prospect of facing either guest Aya El Aouni or No. 6 seed Yulia Putintseva.