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Li Na rallies through the quarters
This year’s French Open champion Li needed one hour and 45 minutes to secure the quarter final berth. Li Na broke the Russian four times and conceded three services, managing to set the pace in the opener, but having a much harder life in the second one. Kirilenko went head to head with the world number seven, pushing the second term into tie break she eventually lost at four.
The 26th ranked has now dropped 1-4 against Li Na who picked her second straight victory over the 24 year old. The Chinese won at the same time 61 percent of service points, 44 on return and hit 76 winners, compared to her opponent’s 56 service percentage, 39 return one and 71 winners.
Next up for the second favorite is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, winner of this term’s Monterrey event. The eighth seed beat Roberta Vinci in straight sets 6-2, 6-4, needing just one hour and 15 minutes to make the progress. Anastasia broke the Italian five times in 11 tries, but also dropped a couple of her services, one in each of the two terms.
She also won 62 of her service points, 52 on return, thundering 71 winners past the Italian whose showing included a 48 service percentage, a 38 return one and 53 winners. Pavlyuchenkova committed at the same time six double faults, but that did make her lose the pace, as well.
The Russian has improved her head to head series with the world number 19 to 5-1. Her previous win had been brought at this term’s Stuttgart event. Pavlyuchenkova had previously ousted Vera Dushevina 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the first term, while her next opponent Li Na had been favored by a BYE.
On the same second half of the table, Mation Bartoli, who is still chasing her first title of the season, has set a Petra Cetkovska quarter final after edging Klara Zakopalova in three sets 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in the third round.
The fourth favorite Bartoli needed two hours and 20 minutes to book a quarter final berth as she converted six of 21 break points. The French also conceded four services, allowing Zakopalova to win the second term quite easily. World number nine Bartoli managed to stay in the game, setting the pace in both the first and last terms. She thus broke her opponent three times in the opener to clinch the opener in over half an hour, and a couple of more times in the last term when she also kept the sheet clean on her service.
Bartoli won 56 percent of service points, 52 of return ones and hit 102 winners past the Czech who finished the game with a 48 service percentage, a 44 return one and 88 winners. That was their foruth meeting in lifetime. The direct confrontation has now gone 2-2 with Zakopalova’s last win dating from this season’s Hobart event.
“I was pleased I was able to hang tough today. Everything looked good. It’s important to get matches right now and this victory is great for my confidence because I had lost the last two times we played,” said Bartoli who will next meet fellow Cetkosva. “I think our last match was the worst match I had ever played on grass. I hope it will be better this time but she has been on fire this summer,” said the French of her next clash.
Bartoli had previously ousted Anastasia Rodionova 6-1, 6-4 in the first term, while Cetkovska had eliminated Japanese Ayumi Morita 6-2, 6-2 and is now in front of her biggest success of the year. The two will meet for the second time, the head to head series being led 1-0 by the world number 40 whose only win against Bartoli comes from the 2008 Birmingham grass tournament.
Concerning the first half of the draw, top seed and world champion Caroline Wozniacki, has made a promising debut after defeating Polona Hercog 6-3, 6-0 in the second term to face revelation Christina McHale in the quarters.
The Danish blonde converted four out of five break points, not allowing her opponent to win any of her services, claiming the victory in one hour and ten minutes. Wozniacki seemed to have put her Cincinnati poor showing behind as she rallied past the Slovenian very easily, winning 76 percent of service points and 51 on return.
On the other side, Polona could only convert three services and save one break point coming from the opposite side, finishing the game with a poor 24 return percentage, a 49 service one and four double faults. Caroline also hit 61 winners, compared to Hercog’s 37. The 21 year old has now improved her record with the world number 41 to two wins. Wozniacki had previously defeated the 20 year old at the 2010 Warsaw event.
Next up for the world leader is Christina McHale who follows yet another straight set win, 6-2, 6-2 to Carla Suarez Navarro whom the American beat in one hour and ten minutes. McHale, who had previously stunned Svetlana Kuznetsova, converted five of seven break points, finishing the game with an impressive 70 service percentage and a 57 return one.
She also hit 56 winners to the Spaniard who won just 30 percent of return points and 43 on service. McHale has now leveled the head to head series to 1-1. Navarro won the first meeting in Melbourne earlier this year. McHale leads the direct confrontations with Wozniacki 1-0 having defeated her at the 2011 Cincinnati tournament.
Finally, Anabel Medina is to meet Francesca Schiavone in the fourth quarter final. The Spaniard upset Elena Vesnina 6-2, 7-6 in the second term after breaking the Russian six times. Medina’s strong start brought her three of them as well as a four game lead she eventually converted into an easy opener.
But the second set saw the two players exchange six breaks, with Vesnina pushing the term into the tie break and threatening with a third term decider. With a late effort, Medina went two mini breaks atop of her opponent, to seal the victory at the death.
The Spaniard needed two hours and 13 minutes to secure a quarter final berth where she is expected to have a hard life against seed Schiavone. Medina won 55 percent of service points, 49 on return, hitting at the same time 55 winners, compared to her opponent whose showing included a 51 service percentage, a 45 return one as well as 50 winners.
That was their sixth meeting ever, the head to head series being led 4-2 by the world number 32 whose previously defeat had been picked at this term’s Miami Masters. Medina will meet Schiavone for the fifth time.
Schiavone follows an easy win against Romania’s Monica Niculescu whom the Italian crashed in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1 in just one hour and 17 minutes. The Italian converted half of her break points, more exactly five, three of which in the opener and two in the last term.
As for Niculescu, she only broke the seeder once after creating three chances, the loss being her third in front of the world number eight and the second one in a row. The Italian won 62 percent of service points, 55 on return and hit 60 winners, while Niculescu finished the clash with a 45 service percentage, a 38 return one and 42 winners.
But Medina leads the direct meetings 4-0, her last win over the 31 year old coming from the 2008 Wimbledon Grand Slam. The Spaniard had previously ousted Ksenia Pervak 6-2, 7-6 in the first term, while Schiavone had eased past another Romanian, Alexandra Dulgheru, whom she upset 6-2, 6-1.
New Haven Prize Money and points:
Winner – $103,000 and 470 points WTA
Runner up – $55,000 and 320 points WTA
Semi finalist – $29,500 and 200 points WTA
Quarter finalist – $15,675 and 120 points WTA
Second round – $8,500 and 60 points ATP
First round – $4,650 and 1 point WTA
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