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| April 10, 2006 | Monday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1427 |
Petrova sets up final with Schiavone
NEW YORK, April 9: Top seed Nadia Petrova advanced to the final of the Amelia Island Tournament on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 15th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. The Russian fired five aces and dominated most of the match, hitting twice as many winners in securing her 22nd victory of the year as she looks to win her second title of the season.
She will meet Italy's Francesca Schiavone in the final on Sunday after the third seed progressed when Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova retired from their semifinal with a groin injury.
Schiavone was leading the match 7-6 (7-2), 3-2 when the fifth seed called her trainer for the second time in the match and then retired.
Petrova got her first serve in nearly 80 percent of the time and kept Safarova off balance for most of the match.
Kuznetsova had won three of her previous four career matches against Schiavone, but she strained her groin early in the match and despite playing with a bandage, was obviously hampered by the injury for most of the match.
Saturday’s results:
Semifinals: 1-Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt 15-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-2; 3-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt 5-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 7-6 (7-2), 3-2 -- Kuznetsova retired. —Reuters
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