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Sharapova sets Zvonareva semi final
Maria Sharapova has booked a place into the Cincinnati semi finals after easing past Samantha Stosur in straight easy sets, 6-3, 6-2, to meet this year’s Doha and Baku winner Vera Zvonareva in the final four phase.
The Russian, winner of this year’s Rome Masters, broke the Aussie five times, to seal the victory in just over an hour. She also won 66 percent of service points and 54 of Stosur’s, leaving the court with three aces and a solid 72 first serve percentage. On the other side, Samantha grabbed just one break from her opponent and only built two break point chances throughout the entire meeting which saw her both win just 46 percent of service points and commit four double faults.
Next up for the Russian is compatriot and second seed Vera Zvonareva, winner of two titles this year in Baku and Doha. The Russian beat the Pattaya City winner Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 7-6 in the other quarter final, needing nearly two hours to clinch the win and make the progress.
Vera managed to set the pace throughout the entire clash, winning 59 percent of service points, 48 on return and break her opponent five times out of 11 tries. On the other side, the Slovak, who conceded five aces, won 52 percent of service points and 41 on return, and despite providing a better first serve play, she lost the game in straight sets.
Zvonareva will meet her conational for the tenth time, first this year. The head to head series between two of the best Russian players, who have last met back in 2009, is still led by Sharapova who defeated the world number two six times before, last occasion at the 2009 Toronto event. As for Vera, her last win comes from the 2007 Indian Wells Masters.
En route to the semi finals, Sharapova has defeated Anastasia Rodionova in two sets 6-1, 6-3 and Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3 in the third term, while Zvonareva beat Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-0 in her debut, and Petra Martic of Croatia 6-2, 6-2 in the third round.
On the first half of the draw, Andrea Petkovic defeted Nadia Petrova in two sets 7-5, 6-1. The German proved to be too strong though for the Russian against whom she converted all her four break point opportunities. Petkovic conceded just one service in the meeting and managed to survive three break point threats coming form the opposite side.
She also won 70 percent of service points, 52 on return, hitting at the same time six aces, compared to Petrova whose showing included a poor 48 service percentage, a 30 return one as well as a 50 first serve percentage, which cost her a pretty big defeat.
Petkovic will next meet either Shuai Peng or Jelena Jankovic of Serbia. The 16th seed Chinese eased past Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-2 in the previous term after breaking the Israeli three times in six tries. Peng won at the same time 79 percent of service points and 47 on her opponent’s, compared to Peer whose showing featured a poor 21 return percentage and five double faults. She won just 53 percent of service points and failed to convert any of her three break point chances.
Peng’s next opponent Jankovic, a 13th favorite in Cincinnati, needed more than two hours and a half to get rid of Francesca Schiavone whom the Serb edged in three tough sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Jankovic broke the Italian six times after creating 13 break chances, but also conceded five of her own services. Schiavone built 19 break point chances, but only converted a quarter of them.
Jankovic won 57 percent of service points, 44 of return and hit six aces, compared to her opponent who won 56 percent of service points, 43 on return as well as 53 percent of first serve balls. En route to the quarter finals, Jankovic has defeated another Chinese player, Jie Zheng 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic 6-0, 6-3 in the opening day.
As for Peng, she had previously ousted Sara Errani of Italy 6-2, 6-4 and Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the second term. The two will meet for the ninth times, second this year. Jankovic leads the direct confrontations with the world number 15, having defeated her six times, last occasion at the 2008 Berlin event. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old Peng won the last two meetings, including a straight set win at this term’s Australian Open, and might provide yet another surprise in front of the 14th-ranked.
Bad news occurred today as this year’s US Open will lack one of its greatest champions, Kim Clijsters as the Belgian, winner of this term’s Australian Open, withdrew the American event after an abdominal injury which will keep her out of the court for at least a couple of weeks. The 28-year-old Belgian, winner of three US Open trophies, is to miss the third Grand Slam of the year which starts later this month. Clijsters first suffered the injury at last week’s Toronto event, but the pain has been torturing her ever since.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to defend my US Open title this year because of a stomach muscle injury. Two weeks of rehab was not enough to heal this injury. Obviously I’m very disappointed. I trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play the US Open,” said the former world leader, currently third seeded in the rankings.
Cincinnati Prize Money and points:
Winner – $360,000 and 900 points WTA
Runner-up – 180,000 and 620 points WTA
Semi finalist – $90,000 and 395 points WTA
Quarter finalist – $41,450 and 225 points WTA
Third round – $20,550 and 125 points WTA
Second round – $10,575 and 70 points WTA
First round – $5,500 and 1 point WTA
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