Injured Zvonareva pulls out of French Open

Updated May 28, 2012 20:32:30

Eleventh-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva pulled out of the French Open with a right shoulder injury before her first-round match on Monday.

"Unfortunately my shoulder injury has not healed so I have to withdraw. It's not good enough to compete. I had to make this choice," she told reporters.

Russian number two Zvonareva, however, could not yet assess her chances of playing in the Olympic Games.

"I have a doctor's appointement later today. I can't comment at the moment (on the Olympics) as I have not yet seen a specialist," she said.

Zvonareva, who has been struggling with shoulder problems for the past year, also had to withdraw from the Rome tournament earlier this month.

Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, france

First posted May 28, 2012 20:32:30

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Sharapova, Zvonareva lead Russian charge

Updated January 19, 2012 17:50:59

Former champions Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams eased into the third round of the Australian Open but tournament favourite Petra Kvitova's path was much less straight forward.

World number two Kvitova survived a second-set meltdown to overcome Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and reach the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Kvitova won the first set easily but grew visibly frustrated as she lost the second and had to come from a break down in the third to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

"I made many, many mistakes and I've got to improve, for sure," Kvitova said.

Five-time champion Serena Williams defeated Czech opponent Barbora Zahlavova Strycova racing through the first set but was pushed hard in the second before winning 6-0, 6-4 to move into the third round.

Sharapova, meanwhile, lost just one game as she dismantled US qualifier Jamie Hampton 6-0, 6-1 on Melbourne Park's centre court in just over an hour.

It followed an equally emphatic first round win over Argentina's Gisela Dulko by an identical scoreline, meaning the 2008 winner has dropped just two games so far.

Sharapova, 24, dominated Hampton in all areas, hitting 23 winners to six and making 77 per cent of her first serves to her opponent's 50 per cent.

"I didn't know much about my opponent so it was more a matter of getting my feet going and worrying more about myself and trying to improve from the first round," Sharapova said.

The Russian next faces Germany's Angelique Kerber, a 7-5, 6-1 winner over Canadian Stephanie Dubois.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and Vera Zvonereva also progressed in style but Brisbane International winner Kaia Kanepi was upset by Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

Zvonareva, who this time last year was ranked number two in the world, was almost as impressive as Sharapova as she downed Czech Lucie Hradecka in straight sets.

After racing through the first set, Zvonareva held off a spirited fight-back from Hradecka to win 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) and set up a third round clash with another Russian, Makarova.

Makarova upset the tournament's 25th seed Kanepi of Estonia, 6-2, 7-5.

Serbia's Ivanovic, whom Sharapova defeated in the 2008 final, reached the third round at Melbourne Park for the fifth time when she downed Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-3.

The former world number one lost in the first round last year but said she was in much better form 12 months down the track.

"I worked a lot on my game in the off-season," she said.

"When I'm out there I really know what I have to do and I stay with it.

"I'm more persistent and confident in that because I know that's what's going to give me results and help me to play better."

"It might not work on a given day and I try to adjust," she added. "In the long run, in the big picture, that's what's going to get me back to the top."

Italian Sara Errani ensured it was not all good news for the Russians when she upset 29th seed Nadia Petrova.

Petrova, who needed on-court treatment for a back injury, was no match for the 24-year-old from Bologna who won 6-2, 6-2.

AFP

Tags: sport, australian-open, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 19, 2012 12:21:37

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Zvonareva reaches Pan Pacific final

Updated September 30, 2011 21:31:06

Russia's Vera Zvonareva overcame a nightmare start in her Pan Pacific Open semi-final, recovering strongly to power past Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in straight sets.

Zvonareva, struggling with her serve, trailed 0-4 to her Czech opponent in the first set before battling back to win a tiebreak then romping through the second set without losing a single game to seal a 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 victory.

In the final on Saturday, Zvonareva will take on Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, who defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

The 27-year-old Zvonareva, who hit a total of seven double faults in the first set, used an array of deep returns to attack Kvitova's backhand side as she fought back.

"I don't even remember that I was 5-1 down in the first set. I wasn't really thinking about it at all. I was trying to find my rhythm and I couldn't find it in the beginning," said Zvonareva, ranked number four in the world.

"She was playing really well. But slowly I got into the match and started making the shots I usually make and was able to turn it around.

"I think I played consistent in the second set and Petra made a few mistakes. We had tough games but I was able to convert all my chances and that's why the scoreline looked like that."

The 21-year-old Kvitova, ranked sixth, squandered three set points in the first set, allowing the Russian back into the match.

After finding her rhythm, Zvonareva raced into a 4-1 lead in the tie-break, taking the set when Kvitova hit an easy forehand volley into the net.

The Russian had to fend off five break points at the beginning of the second set but she was never really in danger.

"I was the first who was hitting the ball harder and I was the first going for a winner. I don't know what happened," Kvitova said.

"I didn't play my game, I didn't play harder, and I played badly. She came back and played better than me and she was the first who was going for a winner. The first set should have been mine, for sure," she added.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, japan

First posted September 30, 2011 21:31:06

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Stosur downs Zvonareva

 Published:Friday, April 22, 2011 1:02 AEST

Samantha Stosur celebrates after winning her quarter-final against Vera Zvonareva on April 21, 2011 in Stuttgart, Germany.

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Zvonareva labours into third round

Posted April 20, 2011 22:23:00

Russian second-seed Vera Zvonareva struggled to beat Fed Cup team-mate Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to book her place in the last eight at Stuttgart's WTA tournament on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old Zvonareva, ranked third in the world, recovered from losing the first set to seal a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Pavlyuchenkova, 19, who was also part of the Russian team which white-washed champions Italy 5-0 in Moscow last weekend.

Zvonareva admitted it was no surprise to lose the opening set as she struggled to cope with her first appearance of the year on clay.

She increased her confidence as the two hour-long match wore on before blasting down three aces in the third set.

Zvonareva now faces Australia's Samantha Stosur or Daniela Hantuchova in Thursday's quarter-finals.

"She's good, we'll be seeing more of her in the future," said Zvonareva of her teenage opponent, who is on the verge of breaking into the world's top 20.

"It was my first game on clay this season, so I just hung in there.

"Last week I was practising with her a lot, but it is totally different in a match situation.

"It was hard to go out and play her, but it's part of the job."

The Russian said she is looking forward to getting in some clay-court practise here ahead of next month's French Open.

"I have been injured for the last couple of clay-court seasons, I know I can play well on the surface, I just need to get some practise in," she said.

There was a shock here as French eighth-seed Marion Bartoli was beaten in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 by German wild-card Kristina Barrios in just 85 minutes.

The German brushed off her ranking of 79th in the world to blast four aces down at her French opponent, who hit four double faults.

Barrios faces either third-seed Italian Francesca Schiavone or Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, who meet later, in the quarter-finals.

- AFP

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