Svetlana Kuznetsova slams Sara Errani to move into the last four – ASB Classic 2012
Russian third seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova, easily smothered her fellow quarter-finalist, Sara Errani of Italy, in the ASB Classic tournament, contested in Auckland, New Zealand on Thursday. Both players were squaring off against each other for the fifth time in their careers and the experienced world number 19, Kuznetsova, won the match within straight sets 6-4, 6-3; she improved her head-to-head tally to 5-0 and secured a berth in the semi-finals taking just an hour and 15 minutes to finish off the match.
Kuznetsova slammed Errani twice in 2011 and had also devastated her in 2010 and 2008. Analysts predicted a straight set win for the Russian and exactly the same was witnessed at the hard courts of Auckland on Thursday. World number 19 completely ousted her opponent in every aspect and inched one step closer to the grand finale of the tournament.
Both players cautiously started off the proceedings but Russian was always an inch ahead with her superior technique and ability to swallow pressure with ease. Both contestants held their respective serve to keep the score board ticking on even terms.
The first break of the match was seen in the eighth game; the Russian stunned her opponent as she played a 'through-the-legs' shot which completely took Errani with surprise and she just stood there watching the ball sail past her. The crowd present at the arena cheered at that unbelievable shot making of Kuznetsova and agve her a thunderous applause. The Russian held her serve in the next game and broke once again in the 10th game to take the first set and impose immense pressure on her opponent. She kept exerting pressure on her opponent, compelling her to commit unforced errors in the game.
The third seed commenced the final set with a successful serve game, with her opponent doing the same. The Russian broke in the fourth game to take the lead but her opponent broke back immediately to fritter away her advantage. The Italian halted Kuznetsova's momentum with that serve break but she couldn’t stop her from breaking once again in the next game and taking a two-game lead; score reached 4-2 in favour of Kuznetsova.
The Italian’s tamed effort in the last three games of the set couldn’t earn her the vital break that was necessary to level the scores. She lost the set and lost the match as well. Kuznetsova went through her quarter-final trial and will play Lucie Hradecka to play for the place in the finals.
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