Kaia Kanepi outshines Varvara Lepchenko to enter title-round – KDB Korea Open 2012
Seeded third in this event, Kaia Kanepi showed top notch performance to triumph over the American starlet, Varvara Lepchenko, in a three-set nail-biter at the KDB Korea Open Tennis Championship 2012 on Saturday. She summed up a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 success over
the world number 21 to charge into the final showdown at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International event held in Seoul, South Korea.
The Estonian star needed two hours to steal the show and trash the sixth seed at this outdoor hard court event. Battling each other for the first time, Kanepi took a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head series against the left-handed American and inched closer towards
her third year-to-date title.
Kanepi stepped into the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center in high spirits. She drew the first blood and apart from losing her serve in the third game, the Estonian capitalised on another break chance and jumped to a 4-1 lead. She lost her edge again in the
seventh game but stayed focused, eventually carving out the victory with a 6-4 score line with another break of serve in the last game.
The world number 21 made a fitting reply in the following set and smoothly swiped her entire serves without facing any hindrance. She cashed in two out of four break opportunities and clicked the equaliser with a 6-2 success.
Ranked 16th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Kanepi found her early ascendancy in the final set. She hammered angled shots to pluck her entire serves without encountering any barrier. The Estonian got the breakthrough in the last game and sealed the
decider by winning six games to four.
Kanepi is playing her first tournament since Roland Garros three months ago. She failed to participate in 10 tournaments including the Wimbledon Championships, London Olympics and the US Open due to Achilles injury. After returning at this event, the Estonian
seemed to carry her rhythm as she cruised to the final round with conviction.
"My season has definitely had its ups and downs because of my injuries, but last year was the same, and my whole career has been a little bit up and down as well," the jubilant Estonian stated in a post match press conference. "It's nothing new and I'm used
to it."
The Estonian number one will face off the top seed, Caroline Wozniacki, in the final showdown. The former world number one, Wozniacki lost her serve five times but cashed in seven out of 15 break chances to formulate a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 score line.
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