| Saturday, 28 June 2008 Written by Adam Lincoln In-form Nadia Petrova produced a vintage display of power and precision to sneak past No.16 seed Victoria Azarenka in two tie-break sets, 7-6 (13-11), 7-6 (7-4). The 26-year-old Russian, ranked as high as three in the world before injuries precipitated a slump in 2007, looked sharp from the outset. Ultimately the No.21 seed kept her cool better in the critical moments than 18-year-old Azarenka, who was able to convert just one of nine break points in the match. Both players came out firing on all cylinders, equally willing to go for broke at the earliest opportunity. As would happen so often in the match, Azarenka worked her way to break point at 2-1 in the first, only to be denied by a thunderbolt serve from the Russian, who had reached the final at Eastbourne in the week before Wimbledon. The next game saw Petrova’s first two chances of a breakthrough, but an Azarenka backhand clipped the baseline, and then a wild Russian return of serve let her off altogether. Games stayed with serve until 4-4, with the tall Russian venturing to the net more regularly and the Belarusian countering with more patient play. Ahead 5-4, Azarenka’s strategy produced the desired effect as Petrova sprayed three errors to offer up three set points. All were lost on errors, but a backhand pass brought a fourth. Petrova retrieved it with a screaming forehand to the backhand corner, duly held serve, and the match moved inexorably towards the tie-break. Although Azarenka moved to a 5-3 lead, it was Petrova who garnered a set point at 6-5, as the Belarusian struggled to hide her frustration. Even so, she stayed in the hunt – indeed, she would soon hold another set point herself. But three aces after 9-9 helped Petrova’s cause no end, and ahead 12-11 she ripped a backhand winner to clinch it. The second set followed a similar pattern but this time it was Petrova who had the early chance to break. Although she failed to capitalise at 2-1, she seized her chance at 3-2, when a Belarusian backhand found the net. Her right knee already heavily strapped from the start, Petrova seemed to be in trouble in the next game when she pulled up in pain after bending for a volley. She was able to save two break points but handed Azarenka her sole break of the match with a double fault. An injury timeout followed, but if Petrova was in pain, it only made her more powerful. Although Azarenka held to love to force a tiebreak, she offered less resistance this time around, and a relieved and almost disbelieving Russian took the match when a backhand sailed long. Advancing to the last 16 at Wimbledon for the fifth time, Petrova next faces fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva, who followed up her defeat of Maria Sharapova with a three-set win over China's Peng Shuai.
| Court 3 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round | |
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