Ivanovic sets up Clijsters clash
Source: Agencies |
August 15, 2010, Sunday
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ANA Ivanovic will meet Kim Clijsters in the Cincinnati Open semifinals after progressing along with Russian teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Maria Sharapova on Friday.
Serbian former world No. 1 Ivanovic, looking in-form and confident, comfortably defeated Uzbek qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova 6-1, 6-3 in Mason, Ohio, to reach her second semifinal of the year.
The unseeded Ivanovic, who reached the last four at the Italian Open in Rome, won 22 of 24 first service points and looked composed throughout the game.
"I think it has to do with confidence. You know, once you feel confident that you've got a game out there and you've got tools, you can fall back on those," she said.
Clijsters, who is preparing to defend her US Open crown later this month, was pushed all the way by 11th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta before clinching a 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory.
Clijsters, who launched her comeback at this event last year, made 39 unforced errors and conceded she was not at her best.
"The errors are there because I still don't feel that everything is going naturally the way that I would want it to go. I'm really just trying to work for each point," she said.
Sharapova had little to worry about in her defeat of France's Marion Bartoli, with the Russian producing a blistering service game, winning 29 of 30 first serve points and smashing nine aces in her 6-1, 6-4 victory.
The three-time grand slam winner will face a tough semifinal after Pavlyuchenkova displayed the temperament of a veteran to beat Belgian 12th seed Yanina Wickmayer 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Three set points
She was 5-1 down in the first set but saved three set points to rally back superbly, winning six successive games.
In Toronto, Roger Federer advanced to the Rogers Cup semifinals with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) victory over Tomas Berdych on Friday night, avenging two defeats this season to the Czech player.
Federer's most recent loss to Berdych was in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in June, his latest competitive match before coming to Toronto.
"It's good to stop him and it's good for my confidence," Federer said. "I tried to take out a few things from Wimbledon, but out there (on the court) I was thinking of the Miami match. It played out similar except this time I made it."
In the semifinals, Federer will take on the No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic, who beat Jeremy Chardy of France 6-2, 6-3 in 72 minutes.
With No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 4 Andy Murray also winning their quarterfinal matches on Friday, it marks the first time since last August in Cincinnati that the top-four ranked players in the world have all advanced to the semifinals of an ATP tournament.
Nadal had a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber to move into a semifinal match against defending champion Murray, who beat David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-2.
Serbian former world No. 1 Ivanovic, looking in-form and confident, comfortably defeated Uzbek qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova 6-1, 6-3 in Mason, Ohio, to reach her second semifinal of the year.
The unseeded Ivanovic, who reached the last four at the Italian Open in Rome, won 22 of 24 first service points and looked composed throughout the game.
"I think it has to do with confidence. You know, once you feel confident that you've got a game out there and you've got tools, you can fall back on those," she said.
Clijsters, who is preparing to defend her US Open crown later this month, was pushed all the way by 11th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta before clinching a 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory.
Clijsters, who launched her comeback at this event last year, made 39 unforced errors and conceded she was not at her best.
"The errors are there because I still don't feel that everything is going naturally the way that I would want it to go. I'm really just trying to work for each point," she said.
Sharapova had little to worry about in her defeat of France's Marion Bartoli, with the Russian producing a blistering service game, winning 29 of 30 first serve points and smashing nine aces in her 6-1, 6-4 victory.
The three-time grand slam winner will face a tough semifinal after Pavlyuchenkova displayed the temperament of a veteran to beat Belgian 12th seed Yanina Wickmayer 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Three set points
She was 5-1 down in the first set but saved three set points to rally back superbly, winning six successive games.
In Toronto, Roger Federer advanced to the Rogers Cup semifinals with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) victory over Tomas Berdych on Friday night, avenging two defeats this season to the Czech player.
Federer's most recent loss to Berdych was in the Wimbledon quarterfinals in June, his latest competitive match before coming to Toronto.
"It's good to stop him and it's good for my confidence," Federer said. "I tried to take out a few things from Wimbledon, but out there (on the court) I was thinking of the Miami match. It played out similar except this time I made it."
In the semifinals, Federer will take on the No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic, who beat Jeremy Chardy of France 6-2, 6-3 in 72 minutes.
With No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 4 Andy Murray also winning their quarterfinal matches on Friday, it marks the first time since last August in Cincinnati that the top-four ranked players in the world have all advanced to the semifinals of an ATP tournament.
Nadal had a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber to move into a semifinal match against defending champion Murray, who beat David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-2.
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