Cetkovska dumps Li to set up Wozniacki final
Source: Agencies |
August 28, 2011, Sunday
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FRENCH Open champion Li Na was upset 2-6, 7-5, 6-7 (9) by Czech qualifier Petra Cetkovska in the semifinals of the New Haven Open in New Haven, Connecticut, on Friday.
Cetkovska, ranked a career-high 40th in the world, will face world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the final, the Dane having beaten Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the last four.
Cetkovska clinched the decisive tiebreak 11-9 at the end of a battle with Li lasting two hours and 41 minutes.
The 26-year-old Czech has yet to win a WTA event but is on an upward curve, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon this year after winning three ITF titles last season.
Cetkovska extended her amazing run through the field that had seen her beat Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli and now Li - seeded fifth, fourth and second, respectively - to become one of the more unlikely finalists on tour this year.
"It's amazing," she said. "I'm really happy about it. If somebody told me that before this tournament, I don't think I would believe it. But since the beginning, I really like the conditions and I was just happy to play every single match."
Three-time defending champion Wozniacki, who is now 16-0 during her four years at the tournament, downed the third-seeded Italian and got a kiss from her boyfriend, golfer Rory McIlroy, on court after the match.
Wozniacki trailed 2-4 early against Schiavone, but won an entertaining rally to break back and tie the set at 5-5, then dominated the tiebreaker and the second set.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, fourth seed John Isner gave himself the perfect US Open boost by upsetting fellow American Andy Roddick 7-6 (7), 6-4 in a slug-fest between two big servers in the Winston-Salem Open semifinals on Friday.
The towering Isner came from 1-3 down in the second set to beat top-seeded Roddick in just over 90 minutes and will take on French qualifier Julien Benneteau in the final.
Benneteau fought back in a wildly fluctuating encounter to beat 10th-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6), saving two match points in the final-set tiebreak.
The season's final grand slam starts at Flushing Meadows in New York tomorrow.
Cetkovska, ranked a career-high 40th in the world, will face world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the final, the Dane having beaten Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the last four.
Cetkovska clinched the decisive tiebreak 11-9 at the end of a battle with Li lasting two hours and 41 minutes.
The 26-year-old Czech has yet to win a WTA event but is on an upward curve, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon this year after winning three ITF titles last season.
Cetkovska extended her amazing run through the field that had seen her beat Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli and now Li - seeded fifth, fourth and second, respectively - to become one of the more unlikely finalists on tour this year.
"It's amazing," she said. "I'm really happy about it. If somebody told me that before this tournament, I don't think I would believe it. But since the beginning, I really like the conditions and I was just happy to play every single match."
Three-time defending champion Wozniacki, who is now 16-0 during her four years at the tournament, downed the third-seeded Italian and got a kiss from her boyfriend, golfer Rory McIlroy, on court after the match.
Wozniacki trailed 2-4 early against Schiavone, but won an entertaining rally to break back and tie the set at 5-5, then dominated the tiebreaker and the second set.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, fourth seed John Isner gave himself the perfect US Open boost by upsetting fellow American Andy Roddick 7-6 (7), 6-4 in a slug-fest between two big servers in the Winston-Salem Open semifinals on Friday.
The towering Isner came from 1-3 down in the second set to beat top-seeded Roddick in just over 90 minutes and will take on French qualifier Julien Benneteau in the final.
Benneteau fought back in a wildly fluctuating encounter to beat 10th-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6), saving two match points in the final-set tiebreak.
The season's final grand slam starts at Flushing Meadows in New York tomorrow.
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