Shahar Peer overcomes Shuai Peng to reach round two – Internazionali BNL D’Italia 2012
Israeli number one, Shahar Peer, triumphed over the injury-stricken Chinese, Shuai Peng, at the Internazionali BNL D’Italia 2012 on Monday. She was leading 7-6(4), 4-6, 3-1 when Peng was forced to retire due to an injury at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association)
red clay court tournament taking place in Rome, Italy.
The 25-year-old lost her concentration in the second set but was a break up in the final set when Peng was forced to withdraw from the tournament after bearing severe pain from the injury she sustained during the match. After registering this retirement
victory in two hours and 23 minutes, Peer not only avenged her loss at the Cincinnati Premier Mandatory event last season but also took lead in the head-to-head series by 3-2 against the world number 23.
Peer made a sloppy entry at Foro Italico and suffered the first blood in the second game to fall at 0-2. Despite making a fitting reply and going 4-2 up, the Israeli lost her edge in the 10th game and eventually enforced a tie-breaker. However,
she dominated in it and clicked the opener with a 7-6(4) win.
The high flying Chinese on the other side of net rebounded in the following set. She went on a three-game rampage before Peer could snatch a break back. Peng lost her edge in the sixth game but capitalised on another break chance in the very next game, ultimately
carving out the equaliser by winning six games to four.
Ranked 54th in the WTA Premier Rankings, Peer got back in action in the final set which matter the most. She earned the desiderated break in the second game and jumped to a 3-0 lead before the Chinese could hold on.
Peng was forced to retire from the professional tennis after that, eventually awarding the Israeli a spot in the round of 32.
She will next face the world number one, Victoria Azarenka, who received a bye into the second round after being a top eight player at this event.
The 13th seed, Ana Ivanovic, also stole the show later that day. She jolted down a 6-4, 6-3 victory against the two-time Grand Slam champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, in 77 minutes to progress.
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