Azarenka beat Serena to win the Doha Open in February and the Belarusian will be hoping for a repeat performance against the world number one in Rome today. PHOTO: AFP
World number one Serena Williams said she hoped to improve her game for the French Open after easing into the Rome Open final with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Simona Halep which ended the qualifier’s dream week in the Italian capital.
Williams, the 15-times Grand Slam winner, stretched her run of consecutive wins to 23 on her way to today’s final, where she will meet Victoria Azarenka in a final for the first time since her defeat to the Belarusian earlier this year in Doha.
Azarenka, the third seed, proved too strong for Italian hopeful Sara Errani in a 6-0, 7-5 win in the other semi-final that was interrupted by rain twice and once by Errani, who called for her coach after losing the first three games.
Williams, meanwhile, will head to next week’s French Open as one of the favourites and with revenge on her mind after a shock defeat in last year’s tournament to Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.
Ahead of that challenge, the 30-year-old American will be hoping for a more telling workout against Azarenka after a limpid semi-final in which Romanian Halep failed to offer any kind of challenge.
Williams was so unhappy with her match that she went to practice for two hours before speaking to reporters, and said: “I am only unhappy with the way I played and I need to work on a few things and be able to do well here and next week.”
Asked about Azarenka and their last final encounter in the Gulf, the American indicated she expects an altogether different challenge today.
“She played well in that match (in Doha) and I was happy in the final. It was a tough tournament and I had opportunities that I wasn’t able to use, and Viki plays well in the vital points.”
Easy ride for Azarenka
Errani had been gifted a place in the semi-final when defending two-time champion Maria Sharapova of Russia withdrew early on Friday citing a fever.
However it was clear from the start that the Italian would be up against it.
In spite of the hot and humid conditions, Azarenka barely broke sweat on her way to a first-set whitewash.
Errani, who had beaten the Belarusian only once in their six previous encounters, emerged with bigger ambitions in the second set.
But despite battling all the way, she was ultimately broken in the 10th game before Azarenka served to take a 6-5 lead.
Errani valiantly saved three match points in the final game but was finally broken by the more powerful Belarusian.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2013.
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Victoria Azarenka is a good tennis player, I give her big respect as a player but she is playing the best womens tennis player I've ever seen, and ive been a fan of tennis for a long time. Since the Ivan lendle days. I hope I spelled his last name right, but yall tennis fans no whom I'm talking about. But yea Serena will be talked about for years to come, she is a hall of famer. Or what ever yall put the great tennis players at. So Ms Williams go in there and handle your business. I love you.
I love Serena Williams. I will be 40 yars old this month and I've been watching tennis for a long Time, since Martina navatalova once played and I use to think she was the greatest and it would be such a nother dominant player like dat, but it is, that in Serena. She is the best I've Eva seen play. She is fast, has a nasty serve and her competitiveness is unprecedented . She has a complete all around game and she is pretty with a nice personality. And she do have a mean streak that I love. And she will speak her mind when needed. So Ir hope she goes there and trash the other player even though I know she is pretty good herself but hey.