Serena Williams halts Lucie Hradecka to reach final showdown – Mutua Madrid Open 2012
Former world number one, Serena Williams, slew the Czech qualifier, Lucie Hradecka, with a bagel at the Mutua Madrid Open 2012 on Saturday. She nudged up a 7-6(5), 6-0 victory against the world number 105 to breeze into the title-round at this WTA (Women’s
Tennis Association) Premier Mandatory event taking place in Madrid, Spain.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion, Williams, displayed flawless performance to ward off resilience posed by the qualifier in one hour and 20 minutes. The contestants previously battled each other at the Cincinnati Premier event and after earning this success,
the American improved to a 2-0 lifetime in the head-to-head series against Hradecka.
"She served amazing in the first set," Williams commented in a post-match press conference. "I came through in tie-break, and after that I was able to relax, make less errors and make some shots. I was more aware in the second set. I think that helped me."
The opening set saw both stars displaying their superb skills and abilities at Park Manzanares. Hradecka, who stunned the defending champion Petra Kvitova and fifth seeded Samantha Stosur en route to semis, held her nerves to swipe in her entire serves.The
American veteran on the other hand re-ignited her old spark and sought four break opportunities. Despite squandering her chances to break her rival’s serve, Williams dragged the set to the tie-breaker. She jumped to a 5-2 lead before pulling out the opener
with a 7-6(5) score line.
Currently ranked ninth in the WTA Premier Rankings, Williams went berserk in the follow-up set and went on a six-game killing spree. She was never challenged with any barrier and capitalised on three out of four break chances, eventually baking up a bagel
in less than half an hour.
Williams will bid for her 41st career title at this blue clay court event. She will square-off against the world number one, Victoria Azarenka, who ousted fourth seeded Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets to set-up this battle. The top Belarusian was broken
down three times but cashed in six out of eight break opportunities to formulate a 6-2, 6-4 success in 79 minutes.
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