Pauline Parmentier will face rising star Mona Barthel in round two of the Open GDF SuezYou can watch and bet on Parmentier v Barthel live for free at bet365 > live tennisPauline Parmentier brought a few smiles to the home crowd on Wednesday, as she defied eighth seed Anabel Medina Garrigues in three sets to earn a berth in round two of the WTA Paris Open. Parmentier had appeared to be in trouble after losing the first set 2-6, but she fought back and left the court with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win.
“I'm so happy with my win against such a good player who is playing so well right now,” commented Parmentier after clinching the victory. “I was a little bit tired after Fed Cup this weekend,” she added, “but I started to play a lot more aggressively and was going after her second serve more, and I think that's how I was able to turn it around. I'm really happy to play such a good match here in France."
Parmentier will continue with a matchup against an in-form Mona Barthel. Barthel is a qualifier here, but this really counts for nothing. Her performances this season have far exceeded expectations, and she’s already got a WTA title to her name for 2012. Coincidentally, this title win occurred at the WTA Hobart Open, where she also entered the main draw as a qualifier.
The home favourite will be bouyed by her win over a seeded opponent, but Barthel is the favourite here. The youngster is quickly rising through the rankings, and so far only Victoria Azarenka and Sabine Lisicki have beaten her this year. She should be able to add another win to her impressive 2012 tally on Thursday.
