Kuznetsova battles past Peng, Li exits
Source: Agencies |
March 27, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TOP seed Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame an error-ridden performance to beat China's Peng Shuai 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 on Thursday to advance to the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open on a clear and cool day in Key Biscayne, Florida.
The 24-year-old Russian, who won a title in Miami in 2006, has not advanced out of the round of 16 in any tournament she has played this season.
She made 43 unforced errors before beating Peng in one hour, 51 minutes.
"I'm not thrilled because I was getting mad with myself and I was fighting with myself," said Kuznetsova, who finished with seven aces and won 38 of 54 first serve points.
"I felt the ball very well and I felt my game, but I was up and down."
The two-time grand slam winner and world No. 4 had some trouble getting by Peng, who only recently returned to action after having appendicitis removed in February.
After Kuznetsova took a 3-1 lead in the third set, Peng tied it 3-3, then 4-4, before Kuznetsova pulled away by breaking serve in the final game.
Third seed Venus Williams, wearing a new red tennis dress, joined Kuznetsova in the third round after a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the night match.
"New outfit definitely inspired by tie dye," said Williams. "I brought back another tie dye.
"Like 'Can-Can,'" she said. "The motif is really about sporty sexy, and kind of that whole attitude of bringing that to my game."
Former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic continued her quest to get back to the top by advancing with a 6-4 6-3 win over France's Pauline Parmentier in an earlier match.
In upset results, No. 8 Li Na lost to Timea Bacsinszky 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (3). No. 10 Flavia Pennetta was beaten by Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
On the men's side, lucky loser Nicolas Lapentti and qualifier Kevin Anderson were among those reaching the third round.
The 33-year-old Lapentti, who made the draw only because another player pulled out, will face No. 1 Roger Federer tonight.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
