NEW HAVEN: Four-time reigning champion Caroline Wozniacki and second-seed Petra Kvitova advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTA’s New Haven Open with straight-set victories.
Kvitova easily defeated American Nicole Gibbs, 6-2, 6-4 and will face eighth-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova, who crushed China’s Zheng Jie, 6-4, 6-0. Former world number one Wozniacki, who is seeded third and seeking her fifth straight title at the event, improved to 19-0 lifetime in New Haven with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over Sofia Arvidsson. Her quarter-final opponent will be Dominika Cibulkova, who won 6-4, 6-1 over Andrea Petkovic. Cibulkova said she was ready to face Wozniacki, who leads their head-to-head series 7-3.
“We know each other really well,” said Cibulkova. “It’s going to be a really good match.”
Jankovic advances to Texas Open semis
Meanwhile, Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic breezed past Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Tour’s Texas Open.
The second-seeded Jankovic dominated Cirstea by winning 79 per cent of her first-serve points to book a spot in the next round against qualifier Casey Dellacqua, who defeated Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4, 6-4.
Roddick crashes out
In the Winston-Salem Open, American Andy Roddick suffered a third-round defeat, losing in straight sets to Belgium’s Steve Darcis 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3).
“I served okay, but I didn’t return too well,” said Roddick. “I didn’t hit the ball clean and he played better when he had to. I wanted to play better here.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 24th, 2012.
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