In an impressive match, Sara has beaten Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the quarterfinal at Roland Garros. After the Australian Open earlier this year, it’s the second time Sara reaches this stage of a Grand Slam, and it’s the first time ever an Italian reaches the quarterfinal in the first two Grand Slams of the year.
Sara started the match really well today, everything worked for her. She broke Kuznetsova in her first servicegame, and then again, and again…6-0! Early in the second set Sara seemed to just keep going: she took a 2-0 lead. However, Kuznetsova started to play better, she used more variation and cut back the unforced errors a bit. Sara’s level dropped a little, and Kuznetsova came back; first to 2-2, and then she took a 5-3 lead. But Sara kept fighting, levelled the set, and then at 6-5, she broke Kuznetsova again, and won the match 6-0, 7-5!
“It was a good match,” Sara said about the match, “I played well tactically. I started well in the second set too, then I had a small decline, but she got her level up and started to vary more. Even when I was 5-3 behind, I knew I could come back, because all the games were hard-fought.” She added: “Now I have to keep my feet on the ground. I won two good matches, but now I have to be just as good at staying focused and charged. I am very happy, but most of all I’m curious to find out to what level I can get. I honestly do not even know myself… “
In the quarterfinal, Sara will meet Angelique Kerber from Germany. She’s another player who’s having a great season; she recently made her top10 debut. Sara and Kerber have met once before, Kerber won in 2 sets in Hobart this year. Looking forward on the match, Sara commented:
“She’s very strong. She’s having a crazy season, not for nothing did she enter the top10. She’s very solid, and she’s lefthanded. They force you to change your routines a bit.”
On ubitennis, you can listen to audio interviews with Sara and with her coach, Pablo Lozano. On http://www.federtennis.com you can see a video interview with Sara after the match. And of course there are also many new pictures from today in the photogallery.
The quarterfinal will be played on tuesday, but first Sara and Roberta have to play the quarterfinal in doubles! After beating Bratchikova/Gallovits-Hall 6-4, 6-2 yesterday, they will play Makarova/Vesnina tomorrow. Interestingly, this will be a repeat of the final of the last 2 tournaments. Sara and Roberta beat them both in Madrid and Rome.
