Print

Mail

wiki links

Ivanovic defeats Pennetta in straight sets to make semis

Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic reacts to winning a point during her quarter-final against Italy’s Flavia Pennetta at the Generali Ladies in Linz, Austria, on Friday. PHOTO: AP

Ana Ivanovic led the top three seeds into the Generali Ladies semi-finals on Friday with straight-sets victories.

Ivanovic beat seventh-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-4, 6-4, second-seeded Vera Zvonareva defeated eighth-seeded Alize Cornet of France 7-5, 6-1 and third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska stopped fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 6-2.

They were joined by sixth-seeded Marion Bartoli, who beat the only unseeded player to make the last eight, Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Ivanovic broke Pennetta, last week’s runner-up in Zurich, at 4-4 and added three more breaks in the second set.

“It was a difficult match,” Ivanovic said. “I was never sure if I did enough to beat her.”

In Zurich, the Serb had reached her first semi-finals since winning the French Open and her second last-four effort in two weeks showed she was past her thigh and thumb injuries. Ivanovic will play Radwanska in the semis.

Radwanska stayed on course for a fourth WTA Tour title this season by routing 2005 champion Petrova.

The 10th-ranked Pole, who won only three games against Petrova in their previous meeting this season, broke the Russian four times.

Zvonareva used powerful serves and ground-strokes against Cornet, who won her first WTA title in Budapest in July.

Her next opponent is Bartoli, who improved to 3-0 against Bondarenko.
This story has been viewed 585 times.