Agnieszka Radwanska breezes past Kaia Kanepi into semi-final – Toray Pan Pacific Open 2011
Ninth seeded Agnieszka Radwanska flogged unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi in the quarterfinal of the Toray Pan Pacific Open 2011. The players duelled on outdoor hard courts of the Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan. Czech world number
thirteen Radwanska ended the Estonian’s agame by winning in straight sets of 6-2, 7-6(7) in one hour and fifty two minutes on Thursday the 29th of September 2011.
Opening the first round of the match was Kanepi but she got off to bad start as she was broken in the first game by Radwanska, who then held her serve in the second game to take a mini break. Capitalizing on the mini break, she
again broke Kanepi in the third game and by holding her serve in the fourth game; she was leading with 4-0.
During the last four games, Radwanska and Kanepi held their serves and although, Kanepi tried to make a comeback in the fifth game it was too late by then and she was only able to win two games against Radwanska. During the last
game Radwanska battled to ward off Kanepi by successfully juggling three deuces and by smashing an ace on advantage, she bagged the opening set with a deftly 6-2 victory.
Opening the second set was again Kanepi and she easily bagged the first game of the set to place herself on the scoreboard. Trailing behind, Radwanska also successfully placed herself on t he scoreboard at 1-1. Kanepi held serve
in the third game and by the fourth broke Radwanska to lead with a mini break. However, the ninth seeded Pole was not ready to throw in the towel and broke back the Estonian immediately in the next game and by holding serve; she equalized the score at 3-3.
During the seventh and eighth serve the players again won on their respective serves to bring the score on level terms at 4-4 and then at 5-5, as they broke each other back-to-back in the ninth and tenth game. Not wanting the other
to gain a competitive edge the players again broke each other back-to-back in the eleventh and twelfth game. Eventually the set was pushed into a tie breaker at 6-6.
The toe-to-toe run carried well into the tiebreaker, neither of the players wanted to give the other the upper hand and the score progressed on even terms. Displaying strong forehand and backhand skills, the two then combated a
series of breaks and holds. The duet kept the scoreboard tied for the first seven points until finally Kanepi had worn out and double faulted, as Radwanska had reeled off two straight points against Kanepi and bagged the tiebreaker at 9-7.
The ninth seeded Pole was able to secure a berth in the semi-final of the event where she will be facing the third seeded Victoria Azarenka.
Tags: