|
Dubai: Sania Mirza earned a shot at her second title of the season with partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands as they reached the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, here on Friday.
The unseeded Indo-American pair took out Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova and Zimbabwe’s Cara Black 6-2, 7-5 in the semi-finals of the hard court event.
Sania and Bethanie had to work hard for points as Black and Rodionova fought well in the contest, lasting in one hour and 20 minutes.
They will meet second seed Nadia Petrova of Russia and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, who defeated fourth seed Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain and Chinese Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-0.
In the singles, Kvitova pummelled Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 6-4 in the semi-finals while Sara Errani defeated doubles partner Roberta Vinci 6-3 6-3 in an all-Italian showdown.
Kvitova, 22, has yet to drop a set in Dubai, the world No.8 returning to form after failing to win more than two matches at any other tournament this year.
The left-hander will also go into Saturday's final as favourite, having won all three previous matches against Errani.
Against Wozniacki, Kvitova was comfortable in the opening set, being taken to deuce only once and saving the two break points she faced.
Wozniacki found it harder going, losing the opening game as Kvitova despatched venomous ground strokes from the baseline that the stooping Dane failed to control.
This allowed the Czech to put away a succession of volleyed winners as she raced to the net.
“She was trying to ... put the balls back — I am the person who is playing aggressively and going for the winners,” Kvitova told reporters. “I can play quite fast from the forehand, it’s my big stroke.”
Receiving at 5-3 ahead, Kvitova left her opponent flat-footed with the power and depth of her return and the Dane could not find enough elevation on her backhand reply.
That set up Kvitova — seeking a 10th Tour singles title — to take the first set, slugging a forehand winner into the corner as Wozniacki moved the other way.
(Agencies)
| 
