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Radwanska to meet Kvitova as Kerber exits
Source: Agencies |
February 21, 2013, Thursday
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WORLD No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska overcame a misfiring serve to beat Kazakh teenager Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Dubai Championships yesterday.
The Pole, who received a first-round bye, lost three of her first four service games on an overcast center court and she will need to improve if she is to retain her Dubai title, with Petra Kvitova awaiting her in the quarterfinal. The sixth-seeded Czech outlasted former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-5, 7-6 (1).
"For me, the first match is always a bit tricky," Radwanska told reporters. "I didn't hit on the center court here this year, and I was just practising outside - it was actually much faster. I was surprised - the ball is just not going anywhere and it was tough for me."
In a big upset, fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany was sent packing by Roberta Vinci, the Italian advancing to the last eight with a straight-sets 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Elsewhere, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark routed Chinese qualifier Zheng Jie 6-0, 6-1, while Russian veteran Nadia Petrova had a similar romp against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, winning 6-1, 6-0. Australian seventh seed Samantha Stosur saw off Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei 6-4, 6-0.
Serving at 3-3, Radwanska saved four break points after falling 0-40 behind, but Putintseva was undeterred and she earned another break point with a forehand winner down the line that fizzed past the advancing Pole. Rattled, the 2012 Wimbledon finalist double-faulted to fall 3-4 behind.
Radwanska, 23, responded by coming to the net more frequently to force Putintseva, ranked 101 in the world, to play on the back foot.
The Kazakh was seeking her third victory over a top-50 player but Radwanska's greater pedigree - she has won 12 tour singles titles, while Putintseva has never made it beyond the second round of a tournament - eventually told, and she won five of the last six games.
The Pole, who received a first-round bye, lost three of her first four service games on an overcast center court and she will need to improve if she is to retain her Dubai title, with Petra Kvitova awaiting her in the quarterfinal. The sixth-seeded Czech outlasted former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-5, 7-6 (1).
"For me, the first match is always a bit tricky," Radwanska told reporters. "I didn't hit on the center court here this year, and I was just practising outside - it was actually much faster. I was surprised - the ball is just not going anywhere and it was tough for me."
In a big upset, fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany was sent packing by Roberta Vinci, the Italian advancing to the last eight with a straight-sets 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Elsewhere, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark routed Chinese qualifier Zheng Jie 6-0, 6-1, while Russian veteran Nadia Petrova had a similar romp against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, winning 6-1, 6-0. Australian seventh seed Samantha Stosur saw off Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei 6-4, 6-0.
Serving at 3-3, Radwanska saved four break points after falling 0-40 behind, but Putintseva was undeterred and she earned another break point with a forehand winner down the line that fizzed past the advancing Pole. Rattled, the 2012 Wimbledon finalist double-faulted to fall 3-4 behind.
Radwanska, 23, responded by coming to the net more frequently to force Putintseva, ranked 101 in the world, to play on the back foot.
The Kazakh was seeking her third victory over a top-50 player but Radwanska's greater pedigree - she has won 12 tour singles titles, while Putintseva has never made it beyond the second round of a tournament - eventually told, and she won five of the last six games.
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