In the opening match of the Rogers Cup, world number 26 Flavia Pennetta took on Canada’s own Gabriela Dabrowski. Dabrowski, the 282nd ranked player in the world, hoped to put herself on the tennis map by facing Pennetta, who has won major tournaments in her singles and doubles career.
In the first set, Dabrowski came out with a “I’ve got nothing to lose” mentality. She attacked early and often. At the beginning, this attitude caught Pennetta off guard, and she began to shank, and lose control quite quickly.
After Pennetta somewhat settled down, she began to pull Dabrowski off the court almost every point. Once pulled off, Dabrowski began to go for more, which ended up costing her some games.
At 2-2, the Italian took control as the aggressor. She began to work much harder, and hitting much harder. Then at 3-2, Pennetta started using her opponents pace against her. Pennetta neutralized Dabrowski.
Once the Italian took control, it was smooth sailing from there. She won the first set six games to four.
Then, at the start of the second set, Dabrowski began complaining about the inflation level of the balls, complaining they were dead. There was about a 3-4 minute delay. This was almost for sure a tactic to take Pennetta out of her rhythm. It did not work. Pennetta won the second set 6-1, winning the match 6-4, 6-1.
What does this mean for Pennetta?
For Pennetta, this match did not show much that we already did not know. Pennetta was in control for 90 percent of the match. She had to come out of her comfort zone a little bit, but she retook control of the match. All of this has been seen before from the Italian. Overall, Pennetta looked very strong in her opening match, and players should not take her lightly. If they do, the same fate that happened to Dabrowski could happen to them.
What does this mean for Dabrowski?
For Gabriela Dabrowski, this match was a huge stepping-stone of things to come. Dabrowski showed her ability to not be tense in the big moments. Of course, this was a first round match, but that said the fact that a player outside the top 200 got into this tournament makes it a big moment.
She looked comfortable, and played well. Aside from what she did mentally, the way she played should not be overlooked. For a brief moment in time, she took a top 30 player and put her into a tailspin. This shows that the Canadian is ready to be a top-tier player.
Overall, there are positives to take away from this match for both players. For one, she broke out onto the scene. For the other, she showed that she is still capable of playing at her best.