Huber/ Raymond battle past Dulko/ Pennetta into final match – WTA Championships 2011
In an all champions clash, 2011 US Open champions, Americans Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond, bounced back from a set down to do away with 2011 Australian Open champions, Argentine Gisela Dulko and Italian Flavia Pennetta, in the
semi-final of the 2011 TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships 2011 at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday, October 29th. The Americans required three sets to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 win over the Argentine Italian duo.
In their fourth meeting this year, the US Open champions were able to go 3-1 in the lead in their head-to-head score. Having already defeated Dulko and Pennetta in the semis of Toronto and the final of Tokyo, the pair’s only loss
to the Australian Open champions came in Beijing. However, the Americans were quick to once more turn the tables.
Evenly matched, the first set started on a competitive note as the Americans were broken in the very first game only to return the favour in the second game. With the score at 1-1 after the exchange of breaks, the scoreboard ticked
on even terms as both the teams comfortably held onto their serves. Capitalising on a single double fault from the Americans, Dulko and Pennetta broke their opponents to go 5-4 in the score before serving out the tenth game to clinch a 6-4 win.
Down but not out, the US Open champions bounced back in the second set. Breaking their opponents in the second game, the Americans clinched an early 3-0 lead extending it to 4-1 on their service. Although the Italian Argentine
pair tried to fight back with a break in the sixth game, the Americans were quick to go back in the lead with an immediate break back. Standing at 5-3, Huber and Raymond served out the second set to clinch a 6-3 win, bringing the set score to even terms.
A set win apiece forced the match into a race-to-ten deciding third set. Going into an early lead, Dulko and Pennetta led the super tiebreaker 4-2. However, the Americans determined in their struggle soon brought the score to
even terms at six points each. Losing only one point to the Argentine Italian tandem from there on, the Americans reeled off four points to clinch a 10-7 victory, sealing their three sets win.
With similar stats, Huber and Raymond move into the final with only three points more than their opponents. Meeting the US Open champions in the final are the 2011 Wimbledon champions Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik. While
the Wimbledon champions end the year as the number one ranked team, Liezel Huber ends the year as the number one doubles player with this one.
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