Published: 21 March, 2009, 13:24
Edited: 21 March, 2009, 13:24
There’ll be no all-Russian final at the BNP Paribas Open in the U.S. Indian Wells as Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova couldn’t follow the path of Vera Zvonareva and went down to defending champion Ana Ivanovic in the semis.
It took Vera Zvonareva one hour and twenty minutes to outplay Viktoria Azarenka, who is also her doubles partner. Each player earned five breaks during the match but the Russian showed a great self-possession using four of her chances and not letting the Belarusian take any.
After the game, Zvonareva praised Azarenka, with whom she also reached the finals of the tournament in the doubles.
“She's a good server. I was trying to concentrate and tried to keep my returns in as much as possible. I know it's not easy, it's not going to happen every day, but I'm pretty satisfied with my game overall today,” Vera Zvonareva said to the BNP Paribas Open official website.
The World No. 4 also added that she’s exited to be playing in both finals.
Zvonareva’s rival in the singles final, scheduled for Sunday, will be Ana Ivanovich. The Serb ended a spectacular run by the Russian 17-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, confidently winning in two sets.
Andy Roddick is through to the last four after ousting defending champion Novak Djokovic.
The 7th-seeded American went through with surprising ease, thanks to a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
But Roddick is to face a much tougher challenge in the semi-final, which is a match of top seed, Rafael Nadal.
The World number one has been looking ominously good at Indian Wells and he soon imposed himself in his quarter-final with Juan-Martin del Potro.
Nadal took the opener 6-2. And Del Potro couldn't get close to the Spaniard in the 2nd set either, 6-4.
In the other men’s semi-final Roger Federer will face Andy Murray.