For the most part, relative normalcy seemed to be restored at the Brisbane International on Thursday, as there were no injury withdrawals and the favorites, for the most part, got through safely. But there was another upset as the semifinal lineup is now set. Here is the quarterfinal round-up from Brisbane.
Quarterfinal Results
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) [8] 6-1, 6-2
Victoria Azarenka had been absolutely dominant in her first two matches of the season and nothing changed in her first quarterfinal of the year, even if she was playing a far stronger opponent. 2015 US Open runner-up Roberta Vinci was no match for the former world number one on Thursday, as Azarenka tore Vinci’s serve to shreds in the blowout victory. Vinci only held serve once in the match, getting broken seven times by her powerful opponents. The Italian managed two breaks of her own, but it was nowhere near enough. Azarenka won sixty-one percent of Vinci’s first serve points and seventy-one percent of her second serve points. The two-time Australian Open champion has only lost ten games in three matches so far in Brisbane.
Azarenka said after the match "I'm pretty pleased with tonight. Thank you for the full crowd - you guys make me play much better, that's for sure! I feel like I was really focused from the beginning and I knew she wasn't going to give anything away so I had to take control and really dictate the play. I'm glad I stayed strong and focused in the difficult situations and really fought for every point."
Samantha Crawford (USA) [Q] d. Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-3, 6-0
A day after she upset Belinda Bencic, twenty-year-old American qualifier Samantha Crawford continued her red hot start to the season by crushing Andrea Petkovic to reach the semifinals in Brisbane. Crawford was solid on serve, limiting her opponent to three break points in the match, saving two of them. The lone break came in the first set, but Crawford countered it with two of her one. After fighting through the first set, the young American tore through her opponent, breaking her opponent three times for the bagel. On top of defending her own serve, Crawford returned well, limiting Petkovic to fifty-three percent of her first serve points, while winning seventy-six percent of Petkovic’s second serve points.
Crawford will face her toughest test yet in the semifinals, when she takes on Azarenka. Despite her massive experience advantage, Azarenka is not taking Crawford lightly, saying “Nobody gets into the semifinals without playing well so I'll need to rise to this challenge - it's a new experience.”
Angelique Kerber (GER) [4] d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-4
Kerber, the highest remaining seed in the draw, continued her march toward the final with a solid performance against Pavlyuchenkova. Kerber was efficient on break points, winning five of seven, limiting her opponent to only three breaks on four chances. She managed to grab the decisive break in both sets to advance in an hour and twenty-two minutes. Kerber was slightly stronger on serve, winning seventy-four percent of her first serve points, while dominating Pavlyuchenkova’s second serve, claiming sixty-six percent of those points.
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [6] d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Kerber will take on the only other remaining seed, Carla Suarez Navarro, after the Spaniard surived a wild affair with American Varvara Lepchenko. Serve was not sacred in this match, as there were thirteen breaks of serve in the match, which both women going well into double digits in the break point department. Lepchenko did a great job to stay in the match, saving seventeen of twenty-four break points she faced. Suarez Navarro did a slightly better job of limiting her opponent’s opportunities, saving ten of sixteen break points.
With breaks coming left, right, and center, it was all about timing and Lepchenko got the break at the right time in the first set to take it. But the tables turned in the second set, with Suarez Navarro claiming the key break. The match went right down to the wire in the third set, and it would be Suarez Navarro claiming the decisive break in her opportunity, breaking Lepchenko and claiming the match in two hours and forty-two minutes.
The semifinals will take place tomorrow, with the non-seeded players, Azarenka and Crawford, doing battle, while the seeds, Kerber and Suarez Navarro, will fight for a place in the final.