Daniela Hantuchova fights hard to down Ana Ivanovic in the semi-finals – AEGON Classic 2011
Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia marched into the finals of AEGON Classic, after she defeated former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6(2)-7, 6-3, 6-2. It took only 150 minutes for the Slovak pro to ensure her place in the
final spot, but she was severely tested by an all-action performance from energetic server and volleyer, Ivanovic.
Ivanovic produced some glowing tennis which troubled Hantuchova due to its lack of rhythm and predictability, and at one set all, Hantuchova looked suddenly quite vulnerable in front of her fans. From there onwards, she signaled
her intentions not to allow Ivanovic to weave her magic by unleashing her full power on every shot.
The 23-year-old Serb, who was playing her first semi-final match of the year at AEGON Classic, was left to weep over her chances after she failed to convert eighteen break points against Hantuchova. The Serbian player also found
it difficult in the opening set that she won, giving up a 5-1 lead before holding on in a tie-breaker.
However, the opportunities kept coming for the former world number one but her opponent played the big points better to level the match before the proceedings were halted due to the rain. It seemed that rain had washed out the
Serb, as Hantuchova
A jubilant Hantuchova told the press, “I like playing on grass, and I've had a lot of experience on it, and that certainly helps you to do the right things, I wanted to win so badly... the grass court season means so much to me.
I don't want to put any pressure on myself, but I'm definitely hungry for another title."
Hantuchova will next face Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the final round of the tournament. Lisicki reached the finals of the AEGON championships with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 win over Shuai Peng of China in just 60 minutes.
Currently ranked 100th in the world, Lisicki secured a 6-3 victory in the first set. She maintained her form and registered a 6-1 in the following set as well to ensure a straight sets victory for herself. In a match
that lasted for one hour and three minutes, Lisicki was able to do away with Peng with a whopping eight aces and a loss of only 10 of 43 points on service. The German managed to convert four of ten break points en route to her fourth victory in the event.
Both women will battle it out for the second time in their careers as Hantuchova defeated Lisicki in the fourth round of 2008 Luxembourg earlier to hold a 1-0 edge.
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