Tennis: Ivanovic moves into Kremlin quarters

The Serbian fourth-seed broke Solovieva three times in the 19-year-old Russian’s second match on the WTA Tour.

“I think she started to play better in the second set and she was missing less,” said Ivanovic, adding that she thought Solovieva was overawed by the occasion in the first set. “I think it was the nerves because I think she was playing in her first big match.”

The fourth-seed will now play qualifier Vesna Dolonc in an all-Serbian quarterfinal after the latter demolished Romania’s Simona Halep 6-1, 6-0 in the second round.


“Dolonc, even though she’s Serbian I don’t know much about her,” said Ivanovic. “I haven’t seen her play much lately, so it would be interesting.”

Ivanovic’s seeding ensured she enjoyed a first-round bye. Her best result this season is a semi-final appearance in Indian Wells in March and this will be her fifth quarter-final. The 2008 French Open champion is looking for her 12th career title and the first this year.

Seppi to face Tatsuma in quarter-finals

Meanwhile, Italy’s Andreas Seppi reached his eighth ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season yesterday as he dismissed Dutchman Igor Sijsling 7-5, 6-2 at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

The Italian converted four of his five break points and won 81 per cent of points on his first serve to claim victory in 67 minutes. Seppi now faces Japan’s Tatsuma Ito, the eighth seed, who beat Russian qualifier Konstantin Kravchuk 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-3 on Monday.

The match was Seppi’s first of the tournament after he received a first-round bye.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2012.