WTA Beijing: Vinci beats Makarova and will face Kvitova next - UBITENNIS

WTA Beijing: Vinci beats Makarova and will face Kvitova next

By Staff
5 Min Read

TENNIS WTA BEIJING – Roberta Vinci continues her good period of form. After beating Agnieszka Radwanska, the 31-year-old Italian player battled past Ekaterina Makarova in three sets with 6-1 0-6 7-5. The Italian will face Kvitova next who took advantage of a walkover after Venus Williams withdrew before the match with a viral illness. Diego Sampaolo

Roberta Vinci continues her good period of form. After beating Agnieszka Radwanska, the 31-year-old Italian player battled past Ekaterina Makarova in three sets with 6-1 0-6 7-5.

Vinci dropped her serve when she was leading 2-0 in the first set but she cruised to a 5-1 lead. Makarova broke serve three times to win the second set with 6-0. Vinci broke in the first game of the decider but Makarova broke back to love in the eighth game after failing to convert on four break point chances. In a final part of the match where both players traded breaks many times, Vinci saved two break-back point chances before serving out on the first match point.

Vinci set up a quarter final match against this year’s Wimbledon and Wuhan champion Petra Kvitova who took advantage of a walkover after Venus Williams withdrew before the match with a viral illness.

Vinci and Kvitova are tied 2-2 in their previous four head-to-head matches. Kvitova beat Vinci this year in the Fed Cup quarter final match in Ostrava.

Svetlana Kuznetsova fought back from a set down to battle past Angelique Kerber with 2-6 6-4 6-3 to set up a quarter final match against her compatriot Maria Sharapova who beat Carla Suarez Navarro.

Following the defeats of Kerber and Makarova four more players Eugenie Bouchard, Agnieszka Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki and and Ana Ivanovic have secured their spots for the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Simona Halep had to dig deep to overcome Andrea Petkovic in three sets with 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 7-6 (7-1) in a match featuring 17 breaks of serve. Halep built up a 4-0 lead in the third set and looked to be cruising to a win but Petkovic broke serve with a couple of good serves. Halep dropped her serve nine times during the match, including when she was serving for the match at 5-3 but took the win at the tie-break.

However, Halep, who is already qualified for the WTA Finals in Singapore, withdrew from the tournament after the match because of a hip injury, a precautionary measure to avoid any injury risks ahead of the WTA Final in Singapore.

This year’s Tokyo champion Ana Ivanovic beat Sabine Lisicki with 6-3 7-5. Ivanovic saved two break points in the first game before getting a break to take a 5-3 lead. After saving five break point chances, Ivanovic served out to take the first set with 6-3. overcame a late recovery from the German who was more aggressive in the second set but was unable to capitalize on her chances. Ivanovic saved a break-back point chance before serving for the second set to prevail with 6-3 7-5.

Samantha Stosur beat Alizé Cornet 6-4 6-2 in a tougher match than what the score suggests. Stosur broke back in the third game before getting the crucial break at 4-4. The Australian player got a double break in the third and the fifth games of the second set to qualify for the quarter finals in a Premier Mandatory Tournament for the first time since Indian Wells in March 2013.

Stosur will face Serena Williams who overcame Lucie Safarova in three sets with 6-1 1-6 6-2 in one hour and 29 minutes. The World Number 1 and China Open defending champion dropped serve when she was serving for the match at 5-1 in the decider. Serena hit 11 aces and converted on five of her 15 break point chances.

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