by The Maltese duo turned the match around to secure victory against Klaudija Bubelyte and Oleksandra Oliynykova in the W60 Doubles Tournament in Liepaja, Latvia. Genovese & Curmi fell in the first set (6-4), but mounted a comeback to take the second 3-6, before winning the deciding tiebreak.
Bubelyte & Olynykova Win the First Set
Curmi and Genovese struck gold by breaking Bubelyte’s (Lithuanian) and Oliynykova’s (Ukrainian) serve to love in the first game. However, they faced a similar medicine at the change of ends, with the Lithuanian and Ukrainian also breaking to love. In fact, similar matches followed with the two sets of players completing a double break on each other to maintain an even score of 2-2.
The two sides then mimicked each other in holds, before Bubelyte and Olinykova secured a decisive break late on to open a 5-3 advantage. However, the pressure to serve out the set got to them and the Maltese duo made the most of it to secure the break back. However, they could not extend the set, with Bubelyte and Oliynykova instead securing another break on serve to win the set 6-4.
Maltese Duo Even the Score
The Maltese duo ramped up the attack from the get-go knowing well that this was a set they needed to win. They opened with a break on Bubelyte and Oliynykova’s serve. Though their own serve was tested in the next game, the Maltese duo took the deciding point at deuce to extend to a 2-0 lead.
Bubelyte and Oliynykova got on the scoreboard with their next service game, before aiming to secure a break of their own. However, the Maltese duo recovered the break point to force a deuce before taking the deciding point to secure the hold, 3-1. Two straight holds followed for either side, pushing the score to 4-2, before the Maltese duo broke again with a deciding point to extend to 5-2.
However, Bubelyte and Oliynykova were not ready to relinquish the set just yet and forced a break of their own to nudge forward 5-3. Despite this, Curmi & Genovese mounted another attack in the next game and though the Lithuanian and Ukrainian duo erased two break points to force a deciding point, it was the Maltese that won it to close out the set 6-3.
Deciding Tie-Break
With a set apiece, the match went into a deciding tie-break. The Maltese duo opened strongly to take the first three points, before Bubelyte and Oliynykova mounted a return to secure a 6-3 lead. Curmi & Genovese closed the gap to 6-5 before Bubelyte and Olynykova switched things again to secure an 8-5 lead. However, having done the hard yards before, Curmi & Genovese provided another twist in the tale to take the next five consecutive points and thus claim victory in the tie-break 8-10. Game, set and match Curmi & Genovese.
