Ye 1-2 Fruhvirtova: 17 saved breaks not enough as 9-0 ace gap decides in Beijing

Seventeen break points survived, 80 percent of everything aimed at her serve turned away — and Shiyu Ye still lost. Linda Fruhvirtova left Beijing's first qualifying round with a 1-2 win, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7, built on nine aces against zero and a 51-38 edge in receiving points.

The opening set was Ye's. She won 23 service points to Fruhvirtova's 22, broke twice and saved four of five break points to take it 7-5. Fruhvirtova fired four aces in that set but handed over three double faults and saved just one of three break chances. Ye also led on return, 16 receiving points to 14.

Set two flipped everything. Fruhvirtova won 18 service points to 13, out-returned 15-9, served without a single double fault while Ye served two, and broke twice in a 6-3 set. The decider followed the same script: Ye dug in with 29 service points won and nine of ten break points saved, yet Fruhvirtova added three more aces, forced a tiebreak and took it. Set 6-7, match over.

Fruhvirtova's match ran on free points and first strikes: nine aces, 51 points won behind her first serve, 51 more on return. She faced just eight break points all match and converted four of her own. Ye defended 21, saved 17, finished 16 games to 18 down and 103 points to 117 behind.

Ye's serve kept her alive for three sets; it never won her one on its own. Fruhvirtova had the bigger delivery, the sharper return and the tiebreak. In qualifying, that is the whole arithmetic.