Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Safina next to enter U.S. Open semifinals



Looking at the scoreline, one would be surprised to learn that Flavia Pennetta served well in her quarterfinal match against Dinara Safina. One would also be surprised to learn that her court strategy was solid. So what went wrong for the talented Italian? Two things: Her racquet control did not quite match her strategic control, and she was playing a crack returner of serve. Nevertheless, Pennetta committed only eight unforced errors in the match.

Safina, who looked a bit tired to me, had a brief bad service patch, but overcame it easily. She served very well, and she made the most of the generous amount of time she spent at the net. The 6-2, 6-3 victory may be literally just what the doctor ordered for Safina.

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