Hello and welcome to the Live Text Commentary for Maria Sara Popa’s opening main draw match at the W75 The Hague against Ipek Oz from Turkey. Our opponent today is 26 years old and reached a career high of 163 in the world, currently ranked 326. Like our Maria, she is ‘proper handed’ and for those of you not already familiar with these commentaries this means ‘left handed’. Kick off will be in approximately 3 hours so stayed tuned and keep regularly refreshing this page for live updates of this match. See you shortly….

Okay we have players on the court warming up. Few techy issues with the live stream feed, fingers crossed it’s only temporary and we can bring you all the action!

0-1 And it’s MSP to kick us off with the serving. The poor feed still doing it’s very best to interrupt the live pictures, but at 15-30 we see a super long rally which ends in a Maria error and two break points. Maria is broken, sadly the live pictures keep going, really hope this issue is fixed very soon!!!!

0-2 It’s getting harder and harder to watch as the breaks in transmission are getting more frequent and longer. Sorry folks, we are going to take a little break and see if these technical issues resolve themselves. See you shortly.

0-3 okay pictures have seemed to settle now let’s keep our fingers crossed! It’s more encouraging from Maria a long service game where there were deuces and game points but ultimately Oz cleaned up, she’s outlasting the young Romanian in the extended rallies but Maria is finding a little more rhythm and getting some good length, it just seems at the moment Oz has got one more shot than her and is playing some intelligent tennis, mixing it up with the odd drop shot. Maria is not too far away from her but desperately needs to get a game on the board in this first set and stop Oz from steamrolling her.

0-5 It is another comfortable hold for the Turkish player, again, draining the life out of Maria in the long rallies. The play for Maria is surely try and keep the points shorter and get to the net. And the first point of her next service game is a strong approach winner, which she sets up with a solid cross court backhand. She’s soon at 30-0 and looking stronger on serve. But Oz punches back and a rather loose error at 30-15 gets her right into the game at 30-30. As it starts getting interesting the pictures start disappearing again. Very frustrating! An MSP forehand goes long of the baseline, and she’s facing break point. She saves it, we do not know how because the pictures have gone again! And Maria is broken, looks like her shot has gone wide, Oz points out the mark to the umpire. Once again the images are continually interrupted and transmission is virtually unwatchable now. Will keep trying my best to bring you what I can!

0-6 – Sorry guys it is soooo hard to watch this, not because Maria is losing (but that doesn’t help) but because the livestream on the ITF website is constantly breaking down, we only getting little flashes of the action, so it is virtually impossible to get a gage on the match. Again, we’ll take a little break see if it gets any better in set two and bring you what we can. Sorry again!

0-6 1-0 great news Maria has held her opening service game in set two and on the board for the first time in the match. That will help with the confidence! Let’s hope it gives her the boost she needs because she’s not a million miles away. We are still getting that breakdown in the pictures!

0-6 3-0 Good controlled aggression from MSP now and she is controlling the points a little better in this set, gets a nice 0-30 lead in the next game. Maria is now the one dictating the points and pushing Oz around the court. This is so much better. Oz is out at sea now and cannot return MSP’s forehand up the line, we have three break points! Maria gets a little over excited with the forehand return on the first and goes well long but there’s still two more. And a short backhand line draws Oz towards the net setting up a perfect passing winner for the Romanian youngster. We are 2-0 guys!!! This is much better, Haide MSP!!! Into the next Maria service game and it’s all MSP at the moment bossing it with the backhand to get the first point. Oz thinks she has found a mark and circles it but the umpire is down yet checking the shot before and that was out. Oz is rattled now and Maria Sara Popa is 3-0 and in full control. Long may this momentum continue!

0-6 2-3 Oz enters the race in set two with a seemingly comfortable love hold, I say seemingly because again the pictures are being interrupted again, but it was quick and was to love, a little pressure on Maria now, she needs to stay on the horse, she started this set soooo well! A double fault at 0-30 sets up three break points, the longest rally in this set follows which Maria is in full control of and eventually nails with a forehand bullet into the open court. Yet another double fault costs her the service hold and just like that we are back on service. Where are we going next? And more importantly will the ITF stream actually let us see it???

0-6 4-3 Cagey few points in the next game (well the ones I can actually see) Maria, let’s give her all the credit, she’s staying with Oz and not allowing the disappointment of the break back to affect her, she’s got such a mature head on her shoulders but Oz is a little passive, not quite running away with the strong advantage she created in the last couple of games. However when we get to 30-30 there are two very long rallies which Oz is able to capitalise on for 3-3. But this set is so much closer and fantastic effort from Maria, she’s really making a match of this now after being blown away in set one. Maria holds to 30 and sorry that’s all I have for you on that one, more interruptions to the live pictures and I barely saw any of that game.

0-6 5-4 It’s making me dizzy now! It keeps shifting to a black screen with ‘Content will resume shortly’ over and over again as Maria takes the first point of Oz’s next service game. We are 0-30 and I saw that one!! Nice cross court rally, backhand to backhand by the two proper handers and I’ll tell what in a backhand exchange you would fancy MSP all day and night. Missed the next point with the dodgy stream but it’s 0-40 lets go Maria!!! Maria is 5-3 up now, what a turn around and what wonderful positive body language she is sending across the net, strolling around the baseline with such supreme confidence. She was drowned in set one remember, she was not allowed to put her seatbelt on! Oz isn’t going away mind, and MSP soon faces two break points, and Oz takes her on the first. Screen is flickering still but Maria did not do too much wrong there, Oz just pushing her into a few more errors. Maria must stay positive, really good chance she can still steal this set in the next game the way she is playing now!

0-6 6-4 Magnificent Maria!!!! Break she does! And just like that we are one set all. And with all the dramatics on Monday where she played two three setters in one afternoon, my God we are learning about this special young Romanian this week! What incredible character she is showing, yes the pictures have been intermittent, yes I am bias because of my Romanian support but she was the better player in that set 100 per cent. Oz has gone for a toilet break, she probably needs to give her head a wobble after that fightback. The stage is set for a dramatic conclusion, let’s go Maria, come on MSP!!!!

0-6 6-4 0-1 Oz quickly up 0-40 in the first game of the decider, Maria battles hard and wins a long rally to save one of the break points but then double faults to give away the first service game. However the way she jogs to the opposite baseline at the changeover shows that she’s still full of energy and fight, she’s not going anywhere yet!!!!

0-6 6-4 2-1 That energy storms her through the first point to take the lead but Oz levels and a sneaky drop shot puts her up 30-15 however more relentless hitting from Maria in the next rally draws an Oz error for 30-30 and Maria bosses the next point to win another error from her opponent go a break point up. Maria is looking so comfortable in the exchanges now. Hello though, another dropshot from the baseline which Maria has no chance with and it’s deuce. Those crafty drops!!! Another controlled aggressive point from Maria ending in a forehand cross court which is too much for Oz who smacks it long with the return and break point again. Maria tries to sneak one over the net from the midcourt but doesn’t quite have the Oz feel and it’s deuce once more. The game goes on and on, this could be a critical plot point in this match. And it is the Romanian who eventually restores parity, what a marathon game that was!!! Oz will kick herself, lots of missed first serves and a couple of chances to shut the door in that one but it’s Maria with the momentum again now. Unfortunately she is soon 0-30 down on her deal. Again sorry the gremlins are back, I’m missing a few points here and there! We are back to 30-30 however 🙂 Maria saves a break point at 30-40 in another long exchange, it’s hard to believe it is the same match as set one. In the first set you would put your house on Oz making any point going over 5 shots now you would back Maria all day long. It was a tough service game with a few questions posed but Maria holds on and is in front in this set. This could be a long set, are you sitting comfortably?

0-6 6-4 3-2 Maria gets a little luck from the net cord which allows her to drive a backhand home for 30-30 on her opponent’s service, she gets a look at a second serve but Oz holds on in to get the game point. Again, losing the pictures a lot in this important game, it’s now at deuce. Quality defending from the corners and a tidy lob winner gives MSP a break point, yet Oz charges in on the next point with a short forehand too far from Maria to reach. A flurry of perfectly placed thundering forehands outgun Oz and we are again back at deuce and in yet another long game, yet another critical game that could contribute heavily to the outcome of this one. It is soon break point for Maria and how cool she looks, she’s totally into this match, it’s the backhand bombardment this time, sadly did not see the end of the point with the image interruptions but it was MSP’s and she’s in front and looking strong. Oz very visibly annoyed, complaining to herself and throwing her arms in the arm, Maria needs to slam this game down now, she’s doing so well! A game that was difficult to fully watch with the feed issues but Maria started strongly yet Oz was able to wrestle her way to a break point and and convert. Back on serve. Maria is still looking the stronger player, she just has to keep pushing for another 20 or 30 minutes, she can do this and she looks like she believes it!

0-6 6-4 3-4 Maria threatens a little to get to 40-30 but Oz closes the game and squares it to 3-3. Now the pressure is on the young Romanian’s service deal. Hooking a forehand well long of the baseline in the first point will not help her cause either. This is followed by an awkward double fault and now Maria really is in a trouble. She hits a T serve which Oz puts back in play and then goes long with the backhand, it’s 0-40 and this is a disappointing service game. She is broken to love and in trouble now. Hopefully all the hard work and investment she has put in in the last hour or so has not dissipated and she can recover that fighting spirit which got her so far in this match!

0-6 6-4 4-5 It’s forehand to forehand now, proper proper handed battle and Maria comes off the better in that one but it’s Oz who forces her way ahead in the service game. Maria has to keep working through the points as she has been doing so well this match and this week but she’s running out of time as Oz gets her again with the drop shot and to give herself two game points. She confidently tries the drop shot again from the baseline but this one does miss to let Maria get a sniff in this game. Some magnificent tennis from young Maria in the next point she is pumping big forehands into the corners, trying to push Oz out of the court but the Turk’s defence is supreme, she gets everything back. Annoyingly I do not see the end of the point because you know why!!! But Oz wins it and is a game away. Maria is soon staring down the barrel of a gun at 0-30 but what Never Surrender tennis follows in the next point, a brilliant long rally which she is in complete control and draws the error from Oz. Then another excellent point firing her forehand missiles at her opponent and killing it with a sizzling backhand winner for 30-30. If she’s going, she’s going fighting, she knows no other way!!! We are soon at 40-30, this is brilliant from Maria under such pressure too. She looks to be nailing the next point but some good use of the slice from Oz, a little help from the net cord to change the pace of the ball and Maria eventually nets for deuce and is in danger again. She then escapes, what courage. She’s still there! Oz will serve for the match but has this little warrior got one more Maria Miracle to throw out there?

0-6 6-4 4-6 Oz goes for the drop shot again to end the first point, why not? Maria throws her body at it, charges towards it like a steam train but is a fraction late. A close call of out needs to be checked by the umpire he comes down from the chair and it’s in, the point is replayed and Maria wins it. A big wide serve from Oz gives her two match points and the match fittingly ends with another really long intense rally which Oz eventually wins to seal the deal. Sporting congratulations to her but what a magnificent effort from Maria Sara Popa today. The loss will hurt but she is becoming one very special player, when she processes this one she will take a plethora of positives. She was excellent after that first set, excellent. Well done Maria, very proud of you.