Li Na vs Petra Cetkovska – Semi-final Preview: New Haven Open 2011
With the New Haven Open at Yale entering its semi-final round, the world number seven, Li Na of China, takes on the Czech qualifier, Petra Cetkovska, in the round of four to get a spot in the final of the (WTA (Women’s Tennis Association)
Premier Series event.
The contest will be played on the hard courts of the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, on Friday afternoon, with the winner of the match getting a title shot in the final of the tournament.
Seeded at number two in the tournament, Li Na got access to the second round after getting bye and outplayed Mari Kirilenko of Russia to make it to the quarter-finals of the New Haven Open at Yale. The Chinese then faced the eighth
seeded Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in the round of eight and registered victory over her at 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, after a stiff contest to reach the semi-final draws.
Rated at number 40 in the WTA World Rankings, Cetkovska has impressed every one with her magnificent performances in the tournament so far. After clearing the qualifying draws with authority, the 26-year-old Czech took off her
New Haven Open campaign by defeating Ayumi Morita Japan in the opening round. She then went on to take down the world number 13, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, in the second round to reach the quarter-final staged of the tournament. Cetkovska stunned everyone
in the quarter-final clash when she defeated the world number nine, Marion Bartoli of France in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, to book a date with Li Na in the semis.
The China’s number one player, Li Na has been in her prime form this WTA season and has a 31-12 winning record so far. She made it to the final of the Australian Open for the first time in her career but lost to Kim Clijsters after
a stiff contest. Li Na then became the first Chinese women to bag a Grand Slam title at the French Open this year and has been in her best touch since then. She has two singles titles to her name this season and is one of the strongest contenders for taking
the gold at New Haven Open at Yale.
The typical spark of Li Na was observed to be missing in her two most recent matches and she appeared a bit rusty in the contest. She has already met Cetkovska in Monterrey in 2009, recording a victory over the Czech competitor
in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, in the round of 16 of the tournament. The second seeded Chinese will surely desire to replicate the similar feat this time round but Cetkovska is a much improved and established player than she was two years ago.
The Czech qualifier will certainly take Li Na to her limits in the Friday’s contest and won’t give up the contest that easily. “I don’t want to say I was feeling great, but it was like a nice promise that I might qualify or do
something here. But I'm really surprised with this result,” told Cetkovska after winning the quarter-final.
Being the second seed in the tournament, Li Na will be the hot favourite for winning the Friday’s semi-final of New Haven Open at Yale but it won’t be an easy task for her to take down the aggressive Cetkovska.
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