Friday, Feb 07, 2003
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Tennis
By Joseph Antony
Italy's Flavia Pennetta launches into a return in her quarterfinal match against Mary Pierce of France in the WTA Indian Open in Hyderabad on Thursday. — Photo: Mohammed Yousuf
At the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh tennis complex here on Thursday, Pennetta stopped Pierce in her tracks, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. Till the battle was actually won, the 20-year old student of maths never expected to beat Pierce. Nor did she nurse ambitions of making the semifinals, in the event that's brought out her best performance to date. "I'm used to playing on a similar surface back home," she said, initially very conscious of her halting English. Of her erratic serves, she said that was pretty normal. The cross-court returns had kept Pierce on her toes and that was what carried the day, she said of the tactic employed. In stark contrast to Globosport executives, who chaperoned the players more than they cared for, Pennetta was more than willing to chat up journalists, away from the pre-arranged interfaces termed post-match conferences, `governed by WTA rules,' that the organisers have become sole custodians of in this part of the world. "If you wanted to talk to me after my shower, you would have had to wait 45 minutes," she joked. Clearly the crowd favourite, Pierce was not her bubbly self. Her reduced agility was even more pronounced. Neither did the patent power of a Pierce serve hold out much of a threat to Pennetta, nor the blistering forehand return of serve. The opening game itself was ominous, as Pierce trailed 0-40, the last point of that scoreline lost when Pierce's sliced drop was paid back in kind, catching the French woman terribly out of place. Pierce's first game loss on serve was repeated in the third and nineth, while she wrested Pennetta's service in the fourth, eighth and 10th. Pennetta's double fault tally crossed the half dozen mark, but interspersing them were some breathtaking aces. On two occasions, she botched both her serves. Nonetheless she persisted with her fiery first serves and they did leave a mark. With her passing shots, Pennetta foxed the advancing Pierce time and again. The vastly more experienced Pierce, veteran of many tie-break tussles, failed to hold ground, conceding the first set 6-7 (4-7). Fully aware of Pierce's limited mobility, Pennetta pounded away on that weak spot. On the occasional lapse, Pennetta lost her cool, on one instance booting the ball away in disgust but to the delight of the goodly crowd. Quick on her feet, the Italian lass never let a reachable drop descend without trying. A pre-quarterfinal victor over sixth-ranked Christina Torrens Valero, second seed Tamarine Tanasugarn would not venture into a forecast on the outcome of their semifinal showdown slated for the morrow. In an exhibition of vintage slam-bang tennis, Iroda Tulyaganova shot her way past Tzipora Obziler 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 to become the only other seed left standing with Tanasugarn, a 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 winner over Maria Kirilenko. Tanasugarn had compiments for qualifier Kirilenko, who she said played a really offensive game. The surface was fast, said the second seeded Thai, who was glad three of the last four were Asians. With that she dismissed the superstition surrounding the surrender of the seeds on centre court, where she'll meet Pennetta. Tulyaganov's line of fire down the centre saw her fare poorly in the first set against Obziler, which the latter won 6-4. In the next two, the diagonal returns, teeming with might, landed often in no-man's land, leaving the wiry Israeli with little chance. The net barricaded many of the big-built Uzbek's blistering hits, but undeterred she continued at her fiery pace till her task was accomplished. The results (Quarterfinals): Mary Pierce (Fra) lost to Flavia Pennetta (Ita) 6-7 (4-7), 3-6, Silvija Talaja (Cro) lost to Akiko Morigami (Jap) 4-6, 2-6, Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzb) bt Tzipora Obziler (Isr) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, Tamarine Tanasugarn (Tha) bt Maria Kirilenko (Rus) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.
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