Vera Zvonareva beats Petra Martic in straight sets – Western & Southern Open 2011
Leading on the board as world No.2, Vera Zvonareva cleared her 3rd round match at the Cincinnati Open 2011 against Petra Martic of Croatia. Playing at the Linder Family Tennis Center, the two fought for sixty minutes before the world number two took the lead and won the fixture 6-2, 6-2. The Premier 5 Event fixture took place on Thursday, 18th August.
Zvonareva surely had a predictable chance of winning. The 26-year-old has been superb lately. Winning the Baku Cup and reaching the final round of the Mercury Insurance Open, the Russian seemed much confident than her Croatian challenger.
On the other hand, the Croatian world number seventy two had a lot to learn. Aged twenty Martic has been more of a clay court player. However, she also made her mark on the hard circuit lately. Winning 7 out of the last 10 matches on hard court, the young Croatian did though of upsetting the hierarchy, however, Zvonareva was too powerful for the 20-year-old.
Starting off with the match, Zvonareva served to open the first set of the match and rolled down the scorecard, 1-0. Following the world No.2, Martic levelled the scores in the next game and stood to play the Russian once again.
The two equalled scores once again at 2-2 with Zvonareva to serve next in game 5. The 26-year-old pocketed game 5 and turned the tables as she broke the young Croatian to take the lead 4-2. The mighty experienced Russian broke Martic once again after she extended her lead to 5-2 in game 7. Finishing off with the breakpoint win, Zvonareva led the game 1-0 winning set 1 6-2.
Zvonareva configured an unbreakable defence along with strong stamina and extremely strong forehands. Securing 18 service points and 11 returners, the Russian scored 29 points to his first set win.
Moving on to set 2, the mighty Russian once again served to her advantage winning game 1, 1-0. The two levelled up the score first at 1-1 and then at 2-2 before the world No.2 repeated the first set beating.
Breaking the Croatian after winning game 5, Zvonareva took her lead to 4-2 leaving the young American restless. Unmatched and unseeded, the American lost the final two games including a breakpoint and lost the second set same as the first set loss, 6-2, and the match 6-2, 6-2.
The Russian might now has to face Daniel Hantuchova, Slovakian, in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open 2011.
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