Kirilenko/Petrova outplay Kuznetsova/Zvonareva to reach the quarters – Sony Ericsson Open 2012
In the second round of the women’s doubles of Sony Ericsson Open, the all-Russian clash was finally settled in the favour of Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova. The fifth seed duo outplayed their fellow compatriots, Svetlana Kuznetsova
and Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5, to book a spot in the quarter-final of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Premier Mandatory event in Miami, Florida.
It was a completely one-sided battle in the opening set, with Kirilenko and Petrova dominating every second of it. The fifth seeded Russians took hold of the momentum early and went on pressing the other Russian team to submit.
Kuznetsova and Zvonareva dropped the opening set in a dismal manner but posed a valiant effort in the next one. They moved neck-to-neck with their opponents but their error-ridden game play proved fatal for them towards the end. The fifth seeded Russians shifted
their gears in the last moments of the match and concluded victory in one hour and 15 minutes to reach the quarter-final round.
Kuznetsova and Zvonareva coughed seven doubles faults in the contest to award crucial un-fought points to their opponents. They could merely secure 15 out of 32 first serve points in the game and were equally bad on their return
game. Kirilenko and Petrova, on the other hand, used their first serve as the primary weapon of destruction and backed it up with amazing return shots. They clinched 20 out of 33 first serve points and then won 17 out of 32 return points en route to victory.
Kirilenko and Petrova dropped serve in the very first game of the match but then wasted less time in getting onto their opponents, going for the attack straight away. The fifth seeds nailed three successive serve breaks to rocket
away to 6-1, taking the opener with a breadstick and getting one up in the match.
Kuznetsova and Zvonareva posed more serious resistance in the following set, breaking the opponent duo twice. However, Kirilenko and Petrova replied with three cracking serve breaks to wrap up a comprehensive victory at 7-5, marching
into the quarter-final round of the Sony Ericsson Open in style.
Tags: