Venus Williams outshines Roberta Vinci to reach semis – BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open 2012
Former world number one, Venus Williams, eased past the top seed, Roberta Vinci, in straight sets at the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open 2012 on Friday. She nudged up a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory against the Italian star to progress into the final four at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) International event held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
The American icon unveiled her true colours after entering the Luxembourgian courts. After notching the victory in one hour and 44 minutes, Williams improved to a 3-0 lifetime in the head-to-head series against the Italian and moved a step closer towards her maiden title this season.
Williams commented in a courtside interview after toppling Vinci:
"It was definitely well-contested today - every time I had a break, she would play unbelievable against my serve in the next game. We fought for every point. We ran so much. And it's great to come out on top against a player who has had such a great year, not only in singles but also in doubles."
The veteran assertively entered this indoor hard court tournament. She drew the first blood in the eighth game and took a 5-3 lead. Despite squandering her chance of serving out the set, Williams dragged the set to a tie-breaker and clicked the opener with a 7-6(2) win.
Currently ranked 41st in the WTA Premier Rankings, Williams got the coveted break in the opening game of the following set and took the initial lead. She lost her edge in the very next game but broke her opponent’s serve again, eventually taking a 3-2 lead. Regardless of levelling the scores again in the sixth game, the American stayed calm and got the breakthrough in the ninth game, subsequently pulling out the victory with a 6-4 score line.
The 32-year-old has secured her second semi-final berth at this event since returning to action after injuries. She reflected:
"It's one match at a time, and every match is challenging," she said. "Everyone wants to end the year in a positive way - so do I - so I'll try to get to the final."
Next in line for Williams is the former Top 10, Andrea Petkovic from Germany.
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