US Open - Bentornata, Flavia!

Flavia Pennetta è tornata, e ha battuto con un sonoro 6/3  6/1 Sara Errani, mostrando tutti i suoi colpi d'antan: servizio, tenuta da fondo, lungolinea di rovescio fulminante, aces à gogo. Confesso di aver guardato la partita con molta emozione. E, con tutta la simpatia che ho per Sara, ho festeggiato. Con una Coppa del Nonno. Fra poco le statistiche.

Andamento del punteggio

Flavia non ha mai dato la sensazione di poter perdere la partita. Temevo per una possibile perdita di freschezza nel secondo set, ma dalla seconda metà del 2° set in avanti, Flavia ha macinato ancora più gioco. Nel complesso della partita, gli statistici degli US Open - fin qui così avari nell'attribuire "vincenti" - assegnano a Flavia 33 vincenti  su un totale di 16 games giocati, contro i 12 della Errani; 7 aces in 8 games al servizio, e una volta e mezza i punti di Sara: 63 contro 42.  La velocità MEDIA della prima di servizio di Flavia è stata di 165 chilometri all'ora:

Ecco l'articolo dedicato alla partita dal giornale degli UD Open:

 

Pennetta stuns Italian countrywoman Errani

Print By Dana Czapnik -Thursday, August 29, 2013

WHAT HAPPENED: Flavia Pennetta dealt countrywoman, Italian Fed Cup teammate and good friend Sara Errani, a disappointing second round exit with a decisive 6-3, 6-1 win over the No. 4 seed, posting one of the biggest upsets on the women’s side of the draw so far.

The athletic Pennetta served up seven aces in the match - including a well-placed, slice second serve – and averaged 103 mph on her first serve.  She frustrated Errani by playing tough defense, chasing down every ball and giving her friend a taste of her own medicine with well-timed drop shots and searing winners down the line -- usually Errani’s specialty.

Errani had lots of problems with her serve, often having to repeatedly throw her toss after directing the ball behind her several times.

Though both Italians are a few of the more vocal players on court, Pennetta played a quiet and poised hard-nosed match, letting her shot-making speak for itself.

“We spend so much time together, it’s not easy to play your friend,” Pennetta said following the match.  “When you play one of your best friends, it’s not easy to [celebrate] and be really loud.”

The 31-year-old Pennetta has a career 4-2 record over Errani and was a tough draw for the young Italian, who had a breakout tournament here last year when she made it the women’s singles semi-finals and won the doubles title with teammate Roberta Vinci. She remains in the women’s doubles tournament with Vinci, where they are the No. 1 seed.

WHAT IT MEANS: Pennetta is currently ranked No. 83 in the world, but that number doesn’t do her game justice. She was the first Italian woman to crack the top ten in singles in 2009, and has had quite a bit of success here in New York, making it to the quarterfinals three times in four years.

Pennetta has had a tough year and a half, missing the US Open in 2012 and pulling out of two tournaments with injuries this season. She looked to be in top form against Errani and her first round opponent Nicole Gibbs. Like most of the Italian women on tour, she’s got an all-court game and hustles to track down every ball. She’s also not afraid to take chances and go for winners, which makes her an exciting player to watch when her game is clicking.

She’ll play either the No. 27 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova or Shuai Peng in the third round. Pennetta and Kuznetsova have played doubles together and are also close friends. If Kuznetsova makes it through, she will be a tough opponent for Pennetta, boasting a 5-0 record against the Italian.

Pennetta joked on court following the match that she’s rather play Shuai in the third round.

“I think I’ve never beat [Kuznetsova],” she said, flashing her smile and chuckling. “She’s a strong and powerful player. She’s one of the best for me, so it’s really tough and she’s also my friend. With tennis you have to go on the court and play and then maybe after go out to dinner.”