This year’s US Open champion Flavia Pennetta recovered from a set down to beat Brazilian Tetiana Pereira 3-6 6-0 6-4 in her second round since her triumph at Flushing Meadows to advance to the third round of the China Open Premier Mandatory in Beijing. She will face Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova.
Pennetta broke serve in the third game but she was broken back in the next game to draw level to 2-2. In the fifth game Pennetta converted her second break point chance to take the 3-2 lead. Pereira broke back for the second time. Pennetta brought up a break point with a drop shot and a forehand volley but Pereira held her serve at deuce. The Brazilian player broke serve for the third time in the match to take a 5-3 lead and clinched the win on the second set point as Pennetta sent her forehand into the net.
The Italian star cruised to a 4-0 lead in the second set dropping just five points in the first four games and sealed the second set with a bagel. Pereira earned a break point at 1-1 but Pennetta saved it before winning a crucial 11-minute long third game at deuce. Pennetta hit a down-the-line backhand to pull away to 4-1. Pereira clawed her way back into the match but Pennetta broke serve to seal the third set with 6-4
Number 8 seeded Caroline Wozniacki rallied from 3-5 down in the first set against Chinese Wang Quiang by reeling off ten consecutive games to win 7-5 6-0 in the second round. The former World Number 1 from Denmark hit 13 winners to Quiang’s 15 but she had less unforced errors than the home player (18 to 31). Thanks to this win Wozniacki has kept her hopes alive to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore. She is currently 14th in the Road to Singapore with 2621 points. Nineteen players have still a chance to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore.
“I got injured with my back in Eastbourne and somehow managed to play through Wimbledon but I had to take three weeks off after that. Then in my first practice back I hurt my back, so I came into the US Open Series not really being able to play 100%. I felt fit playing the US Open, but unfortunately I lost in a tough match in the second round. During the summer I haven’t been able to play the way I want to. I just to start afresh and finish off the year as well as I can. ”, said Wozniacki
