Dementieva reaches semis at Pan Pacific Open
Elena Dementieva has defeated Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-2 to book the final spot in the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
It was Zvonareva who began the match playing the more confident tennis, with an off-forehand finally sealing what seemed to be the inevitable break in the sixth game of the match, after unforced errors had seen the first couple of chances the world No. 4 had to break go begging.
It was, however, to be the first of four successive breaks in the set, with Dementieva securing the vital hold to level the scores at 5-5, then attacking Zvonareva’s serve as the 28-year-old found her rhythm and range to break her compatriot for the third straight service game.
She made no mistake in serving out the set, and continued to apply the pressure to Zvonareva by securing the break in the opening game of the second, a double-fault handing the 1-0 lead to Dementieva.
That quickly became a 3-0 lead as Dementieva unleashed a potent all-court assault that Zvonareva simply couldn’t match.
The world No. 10's run of games finally came to an end when Zvonareva sent the backhand return down the line to secure one important break-back in the fourth game of the set after failing to capitalise on the first of her two break-point chances for the game.
The trouble for Zvonareva though was holding her own serve and fight as she might – and did in a marathon seventh game of the second set – she dropped seven straight service games as Dementieva pressured her compatriot with a strong return game, and served well enough herself, despite that awkward service action, to secure victory in one hour and 11 minutes.
Earlier in the day, Caroline Wozniacki was handed a virtual free pass into the final four when quarter-final opponent Agnieszka Radwanska retired from their match through injury while trailing the top seed 5-0.
Wozniacki’s semi-final opponent, Victoria Azarenka, should be similarly well rested after coasting past American qualifier Coco Vandeweghe 6-2, 6-1 in their quarter-final match.
Francesca Schiavone, however, was forced to fight hard for her victory against Kaia Kanepi but finally emerged the 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victor after three hours on court.
Schiavone will now play Dementieva in the semis, in their first match since they faced off in the same stage of the French Open, where Dementieva retired from the match with a leg injury after losing the tightly contested first set to the eventual champion.
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