Tennis: New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe bows out of ASB Classic after tough three-set fight

Erin Routliffe. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand wildcard Erin Routliffe fought valiantly but has been beaten in three sets in her first-round singles match at the ASB Classic.

The 27-year-old doubles specialist has lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 24 minutes to Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

It was a match that spanned more than four hours through three rain delays and had plenty of drama.

Routliffe was always going to have a tough task against a player who had won two rounds of qualifying and has been ranked as high as 51 in the world and won a WTA singles title in Hamburg in 2021. The 25-year-old Romanian is currently ranked 91st.

The match was a controversial omission from the centre court schedule but the grandstand court was packed for the contest which came to life after a second set rain delay as Routliffe clawed her way back.

Ruse had gotten off to a flying start, dropping just one point on serve in her first three games and just three points on serve in the opening set as Routliffe made a sluggish start.

The Kiwi has a powerful serve and is a force on the doubles court. But against a strong returner she was up against it from the outset.

For Routliffe, who has risen to 30 in the doubles rankings, the game plan was to serve well and mix things up off the ground. But her confidence took a hit in her opening service game, landing just one first serve in and getting broken. She dropped serve again in her fourth service game as Ruse closed out the opening set in just 34 minutes.

There was a hint of improvement from Routliffe at the start of the second set as the players left the court for a 45-minute rain delay with Ruse leading 2-1.

Routliffe had fought hard to level the scores with a couple of booming serves to set up easy forehand winners in her opening service game and grew in confidence as the set wore on. Still Ruse created opportunities and had three break point chances off Routliffe’s serve in the set, but couldn’t convert.

Routliffe had two break points, and broke on the second for a 5-4 lead. She had increased her serving accuracy during the set and comfortably served it out to force a deciding third set.

The Kiwi was unable to start strongly into the decider however. Broken immediately after Ruse held serve to start the set, Routliffe dropped serve a second time and up a double break at 4-0 Ruse appeared on her way to the second round.

But the match had another twist as Routliffe continued to fight.

She broke Ruse’s serve for 4-1 and again for 4-3 as the match went past the two-hour mark. A marathon game on Routliffe’s serve saw the Kiwi eventually broken and Ruse served for the match.

With Routliffe on the cusp of breaking back at 15-40, another rain storm passed over the ASB Tennis Arena, and the players were off court again. When they returned Ruse saved two break points but Routliffe took her next chance and they were back on serve.

However, it ended rather tamely as the Kiwi was broken to love, ending the match on a double fault to bow out of the tournament.

Routliffe, who as top seed in the doubles with American Caroline Dolehide was beaten in the first round on Monday night, will now pack her bags for next week’s WTA tournament in Adelaide before the Australian Open.

She will be playing with her regular doubles partner Alicja Rosolska who has been playing for Poland in the United Cup across the Tasman.