Agnieszka Radwanska bidding for her third year-to-date title at Mutua Madrid Open: Tennis Special
Polish number one, Agnieszka Radwanska, took down the Italian star, Roberta Vinci, in straight sets at the Mutua Madrid Open 2012 on Thursday. She clobbered a 7-6(1), 6-4 victory against the Italian veteran to book a spot in the final eight at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Mandatory event taking place in Madrid, Spain.
The fourth seeded Pole was a break down in the opening set but she quickly counterattacked, ultimately pulling out the victory in one hour and 21 minutes. Encountering each other for the fourth time, Radwanska not only extended her lead in the head-to-head series by 4-0 against Vinci but also progressed into the quarter-finals at Park Manzanares.
"It was a close one, just a few points in each set," Radwanska commented afterwards. "Roberta was playing very well. Especially here it's hard to run because the courts are slippery, and her serve was a big weapon the whole match today, so there were pretty much no breaks. She started very well and it was really tough. I'm very happy I could win today and get to the quarterfinals here."
Radwanska sluggishly stepped on blue clay courts and after suffering the first blow in the third game, she went 1-3 down. However, she stayed calm and snatched her break back in the sixth game. The Pole swiped in her remaining serves and not only enforced a tie-breaker but ruled in it to clinch the opener with a 7-6(1) score line.
Third ranked Radwanska kept momentum flowing into the proceeding set and swiftly held her entire serves without facing any obstacle. She got the breakthrough in the ninth game and clicked the set by winning six games to four.
All in all, the Pole capitalised fully on several unforced errors Vinci coughed and hammered five aces. She also manipulated a better first serve share of 76 per cent as opposed to her opponent’s 44 per cent and amazingly clicked 36 out of 45 points on it.
Next in line for Radwanska is the American qualifier, Varvara Lepchenko, who rallied past the top Spaniard, Anabel Medina Garrigues, in a three-set thriller to set-up this clash. The Uzbekistani-born Lepchenko brushed off seven out of eight breakpoints she came across and cashed in half of the 12 break opportunities to register a 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3 score line in two hours and 46 minutes.
The 23-year-old is bidding for her third year-to-date title and she can easily reach semis after taking down Lepchenko for the third straight time. In their last meeting in Doha earlier this circuit, Radwanska faced double set point in the opening set. However, she stayed focused and carved out the victory with a 7-5, 6-1 success.
The Pole needs to play her original game and should believe in her to conquer Lepchenko once more.
Her possible final four opponent is the world number one, Victoria Azarenka, and the Pole needs to raise the level of her game to conquer her.
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