Brenda is back....

[Overdune]

Schultz verslaat Brandi met 7-6 1-6 7-6 en kwalificeert zich voor het hoofdtoernooi van Birmingham. Twee dingen vallen op: ze geeft openlijk toe de tweede set getankt te hebben :lol: , en ze is echt terug! :razz:

Champion here 15 years ago, Schultz-McCarthy beat Kristina Brandi in the battle of the tour veterans, the 36-year-old Dutchwoman grinding out a three-set victory over the 30-year-old Puerto Rican 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-6(4).

It has been an epic weekend for the Dutchwoman who won the Surbiton Trophy in Surrey on Saturday before heading up to Birmingham to begin her qualifying campaign that afternoon.

“I woke up sore this morning and although I came out strong in the first set, I think that left me a little fatigued,” said Schultz-McCarthy.

“The second set just seemed to slip by me. Once I fell behind a few games I just thought I’d let that one go and start the third set fresh.”

Brandi had three match points in the tenth game of the third set but Schultz-McCarthy served her way out of trouble and galloped to a 40-0 lead on Brandi’s serve in the very next game.

The Puerto Rican fought back to lead 6-5 on serve but more Shultz-McCarthy firepower took the match to a tie-break decider.

Appreciating her lucky escape two games earlier, Schultz-McCarthy made a strong start to the tie-break, racing to a 5-1 lead. Although Brandi was able to claw back a couple of points, Schultz-McCarthy only needed one match point, at 6-4 in the tiebreak, to claim her main draw spot against Vania King of the USA.

While tired after the match, the Dutchwoman said she had no plans to slow down in the near future.

“I don’t know any other way to get this competitive streak out of my system,” said the 36-year-old. “When I got injured I was in the top 10 and I wasn’t ready to finish. I was having a good time. I know eventually I will stop when I have children but when I stop I want it to be on my terms.”