Nadia Petrova finally getting back her vintage form – Tennis News
Former world number three, Nadia Petrova, had a remarkable tennis season and is finally seen back in her true belligerent form. The 30-year-old veteran has once been a real dominating force on the tennis courts but her niggling
injuries and aging factor took a huge toll out of her performance in the recent couple of years. She took off the 2012 WTA season as the 29th ranked competitor but her consistency throughout the professional circuit has propelled to the world number
12 position last week.
Petrova won three WTA singles championship titles, along with two doubles trophies, this year and had an impressive 39-19 winning record. Her earlier performances this year have not been much convincing but the veteran has really
worked hard to break back in the winners’ circle.
She got her first breakthrough of the year at Indian Wells Masters, where she reached the fourth round but lost to her compatriot and doubles partner, Maria Kirilenko. Quarter-final appearances in Charleston and Estoril events
kept her ranking on the rise. It was at S-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, that the Russian veteran won her first championship title of the season after hunting down Urszula Radwanska in the final.
Decent runs at Wimbledon Championships, Carlsbad and Olympic Games were immediately followed by opening-round exits from the mega events in Montreal and Cincinnati. Petrova regained her impetus at the US Open and finished in the
round of 16, falling to her other compatriot, Maria Sharapova. She carried on her form to Tokyo and stunned the then world number three, Agnieszka Radwanska, in the title match to lift gold for the second time this year.
Petrova’s most recent and impressive victory came at the Tournament of Champions in Sofia. Contesting against the best performers of the season, Petrova stood tall amongst them all and outplayed the former world number one, Caroline
Wozniacki, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, in the grand finale. She was extremely delighted on her victory and hopes to register a lot more like these in the next season.
"I cannot say I'm playing my best right now, but I'm definitely going in the right direction," she said. "I'm trying to bring the good years back right now though. Hopefully with the preparation I'm doing in the off-season for
next year, you'll be able to see the old Petrova.”
Petrova can easily break into the elite Top-10 rankings list by posting some good performances in the season-opening tournaments in 2013, especially the Australian Open Grand Slam.
Tags: