There wasn't much news on Flavia Pennetta since her magnificent run to the semifinals of the US Open last season. Although she announced herself back in the game with that superb result in New York, Flavia did not confirm during the Asian swing, nor European indoor season. However, it all came together at the right moment.
Although she injured her ankle at the start of the season while playing in the Hopman Cup, Pennetta recovered in time for the Australian Open. She was quick off the blocks, beating Romanian Alexandra Cadantu, Puerto Rican Monica Puig, and German Mona Barthel without dropping a set.
Hoping to advance to her first Melbourne quarterfinal, Flavia came across a familiar face in the form of German Angelique Kerber. The two met in 2011 in New York, when Kerber stunned hot favourite Pennetta to advance to her first Grand Slam semifinal. That loss was extremely painful for the Italian, so she was determined to get her revenge. She started strongly, cruising through the first set 6-1. The German, an established top 10 presence now, got her groove back in the second act, winning it 6-4. Pennetta had controlled the match throughout, and although she let go of a 5-3 advantage in the decider, she was not to be denied, closing out a 6-1,4-6,7-5 victory. "I think the first set was perfect," she confessed. "I was really aggressive. Everything was working pretty good. My serve, my return, everything was perfect."
"In the second set I was waiting a little bit more and she started to play much better—of course, it's normal. I had a few chances in the second set and didn't make it. And then in the third it was a little bit up and down for both of us - I served for the match at 5-3 and played really badly, I have to say.
"But I just tried to keep going and tried to be aggressive, and in the end it was working pretty well."
In her post-match interview, the Italian talked about her struggles recovering from the injury that sidelined her for six months last year. "The feeling I had was completely not good," she said. "I kept working well with my team and everyone, but in the beginning the result was not good at all. I did like five or six first rounds in a row. But everything has just changed, because I think I was there and trying to play all the time and just working really hard."
"So this is amazing. It's always nice to be in the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam, and it's the first time for me here, and I really enjoy playing here. Today was a really good match and I'm just very happy."
Next up for ferocious Flavia is Chinese trailblazer, Na Li, twice a runner-up here in Melbourne, including last year, when she lost a nail-biting encounter to Azarenka.
photo: GETTY IMAGES
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