Pilot Pen tennis competition 2010: Top-seeded Baghdatis ousted by Sergiy Stakhovsky
The Ukrainian professional tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky toppled the top-seeded Marcos Baghdatis in the Pilot Pen tennis competition on Thursday in a total of three sets. The final match score was 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4). As a result of this victory, Sergiy has made his way into the semi-final round of the competition in New Heaven.
Stakhovsky kept on experimenting with his pace throughout yesterday’s clash and made use of drop shots as well as slices to keep his opponent running all around the net. In the end, it was the ninth-seeded Ukrainian breezing into the semi-final round, to be played on Friday.
“I didn’t feel hundred percent fit in today’s match,” Baghdatis said. “My legs also didn’t support me well and so I failed to play my natural game today in New Heaven.”
Stakhovsky on the other hand, was a little tired too.
He played his first contest of the tournament on Tuesday delayed by darkness and concluded that Wednesday, defeating Peter Luczak in a total of two sets. The final match score was 6-3, 7-6 (4). The Ukrainian started his third round clash on Wednesday night versus his Spaniard opponent Tommy Robredo before that was also delayed by rain, winning the match when it resumed on Thursday morning. After taking a break of few hours, Stakhovsky was once again returned on the hard court of New Heaven to play his semi-final battle against the top-seeded tennis ace, Marcos Baghdatis.
Stakhovsky will next meet Thiemo de Bakker in the semi-final round of the 2010 Pilot pen tennis competition. The Dutchman, whose ATP world ranking has improved this season from ninety six to fifty two, smoked Evgeny Korolev from Kazakhstan in a two-setter clash. The final match score was 6-4, 6-2.
In the women’s section, a total of three Russian tennis players made their way into the semis, whereas the top seeded tennis ace Caroline Wozniacki cruised even without stepping into the court.
Caroline’s Italic opponent in the quarters, Flavia Pennetta withdrew from the championship as a result of her foot injury on Thursday.
“Nobody wants to withdraw and neither do I. However my foot has been hurting me since the last whole week and I knew it that I won’t be able to finish off my quarterfinal clash, therefore I decided to withdraw instead of further doing any more damage to my foot,” said Flavia on Thursday.
On the other hand, Caroline said that she is happy to get a day off.
“I can relax my body and mind for today and can come out on the court tomorrow with a fresh state of mind,” added the top-seeded player at the 2010 US Open.
The Danish tennis star will face Elena Dementieva in the semi-final round of the 2010 Pilot Pen tennis competition on Friday. The seeded fourth tennis ace from Russia got the better of her French tennis opponent, Marion Bartoli in a time period of almost three hours to reach the semi-final battle on Thursday. The final match score was 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
In another action on Thursday, Maria Kirilenko knocked down Dinara Safina in a total of two sets in New Heaven. The final match score was 6-3, 6-3. As a result of this victory, Maria will meet Nadia Petrova in the today’s semi-final round of the Pilot Pen tennis competition 2010.
Petrova advanced after beating Samantha Stosur in her last match in a total of two sets. She fired a total of four aces and captured eighty-two percent of her first-serve points.
The men’s semi-final match on Friday will feature Denis Istomin from Uzbekistan facing Viktor Troicki of Serbia.
Tags: