Kirilenko/ Petrova upset top seeds Srebotnik/ Peschke in quarterfinal – US Open 2011
Opening the doubles quarter final event of the US Open 2011 was the top seeded team of Kveta Peschke with Katarina Srebotnik against the Russian pair of Maria Kirilenko besides Nadia Petrova, the fifth seeds.
The two squads battled it out on show court 13 of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It was the biggest upset of the doubles event as the Czech / Slovenian pair lost to the babushka dolls. With a 6-2, 6-3 score the
Russian pair qualified into the semi-final in just 76 minutes.
The babushka dolls won the pitch and opened the score board to 1-0 by smashing an ace at 40-0 and thus, bagged the first game without much opposition. The two then won on alternate serves in the next four games at which the score
board read as 3-2. Kirilenko/ Petrova were the first to break in sixth game and by holding their serve in the seventh took the lead at 5-2. As the Wimbledon winners served to win on their serve the Russians pounced at the first chance to break their opponents
for the last time in the eighth game.
The Russian squad hit nine winners, one ace, and accomplished almost twice as many points as their opponents’ in the opening set.
Opening the second set were again Kirilenko/ Petrova, the two teams won on their respective serves till the first three games. In the fourth game Kirilenko/ Petrova broke the Czech / Slovenian pair to take the lead but the top
seed were not ready to throw in the towel just as yet and broke back in the fifth to eventually level the score at 3-3 by holding on to their serve in the sixth game. During the eighth game the babushka dolls again broke their rivals and ultimately served
for the match in the ninth game. As they smashed two aces at 30-15, they bagged the set and the match.
Although, the Slovenian/ Czech mix had smashed ten winners and had a great year by winning the Wimbledon Championships, they lost because they were unable to control their double faults and had a fewer receiving points.
Mean while, the number 5 seeded couple eased into the semi final by controlling their double faults and unforced errors. In addition, they had a stronger game plan and the strong back hand winners and forehand aces won them a place
in the best of four. They will now be facing number third seeded team of American Vania King with Kazak Yaroslava Shvedova.
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