2011 PTT Pattaya Open: Zvonareva defeats Peng in quarterfinal
First seed Russian tennis pro Vera Zvonareva managed to oust Chinese sixth seed Shuai Peng in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a match which lasted two hours and twenty-eight minutes.
Zvonareva is currently World Number 3, behind Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters. The 26-year-old turned pro eleven years ago, making her Women’s Tennis Association [WTA] debut in 2000. She has won ten career titles to date, and has played eight matches in 2011 so far. Out of these eight, the pro has won six.
Shuai Peng on the other hand, is currently ranked World Number 40. She is 25 years old and has not won any career titles yet, although her tennis résumé does include nine ITF titles. She has played thirteen matches in 2011 so far, out of which she has won nine.
Zvonareva seemed to have the match in perfect control in the first set, scoring an easy 6-4 to win the opening set. Peng quickly reversed the situation, winning the second set 6-4. Zvonareva entered the third set with determination to win, and quickly made this apparent by serving her opponent three break points. She fired three aces throughout the match, while Peng did not manage any.
The two players had their last meeting at the 2009 Los Angeles tournament, held in California, USA. Peng and Zvonareva met on the hard courts of LA in the round of the last 32, and Zvonareva managed to defeat her in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6). Peng has always proved to be a tough challenger for Zvonareva, but the Russian has triumphed over her seven times in a row. Their head to head is now 6-0 for Vera Zvonareva.
Zvonareva has reached the semifinals of the event, where she will be competing against fourth seed Slovakian tennis pro Daniela Hantuchova.
World Number 32, Hantuchova defeated local World Number 72, Akgul Amanmuradova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0, to reach the semis.
Tags: