Radwanska stops Pennetta, helps lift Poland past Italy
Print Edition
World No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska got her new season off to a fine start with a 6-2, 6-2, win over Flavia Pennetta as Poland beat Italy at the mixed teams Hopman Cup yesterday in Perth, Australia.
After Radwanska edged past the 31st-ranked Pennetta, the Poles clinched the tie in unlikely circumstances, when the 288th-ranked Grzegorz Panfil was handed victory over Andreas Seppi in the men’s singles after the Italian retired due to illness.
Panfil, who was a late call-up for the tournament following the withdrawal of Jerzy Janowicz due to injury, won the first set and it was level in the second when Seppi retired.
That gave Poland, nominally the tournament’s top seeds but outsiders for the tie after Janowicz’s withdrawal, an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the Group A encounter.
They were also handed the mixed doubles in a walkover for a 3-0 win in the first tie of the tournament.
Radwanska only arrived in Perth the night before her match against Pennetta, but looked in good touch in cruising to victory against the Italian, who has been ranked as high as 10th in the world.
“I didn’t have much time to adjust and I only slept for like three hours,” she said after a match that was played under an open roof on a warm day.
In Thailand, world No. 2 Victoria Azarenka battled back from an injury-plagued season to defeat top-ranked Serena Williams 7-5, 6-3 yesterday.
The 24-year-old Belarusian is hoping her victory at the exhibition match in Thailand will set the stage for a strong performance at the upcoming Australian Open.
“It’s a great warm up before going to compete and start the year,” she said in the seaside resort of Hua Hin. “It’s always really fun because we take each other to the limit.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
