After making a much-anticipated return to the winning circle with her triumph in Charleston, Andrea Petkovic took another step toward regaining her place in the world’s elite. At this year’s French Open, the German saw a great opportunity arising when her side of the draw lost second-seeded Na Li. Li has been in excellent form this season, winning the Australian Open and establishing herself as a solid No.2, behind American Serena Williams. In a shock first round upset, the Chinese lost to home hope, Kristina Mladenovic.
The result played very much in Petkovic’s favour who ended Mladenovic’s dream run in the third round. She then dug deep, having to rely on her vaster experience to succumb the stiff resistance of Dutch qualifier, Kiki Bertens, to reach the last eight. Andrea, a former three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, knew this was her chance to advance deeper into a major. She kept a clear head, went for her shots, was aggressive, inspired, and eventually got her reward. She played an incredibly precise match to stun former finalist, feisty Italian Sara Errani, 6-2,6-2 to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal.
Although she run out of steam against Romanian sensation, Simona Halep, Andrea’s performance at this year’s Roland Garros is nothing short of impressive. Her career was plagued by endless injuries and misfortunes, so I am more than excited to see her back, healthy, and playing at such a high level. She has the consistency and the game to reestablish herself as a regular top 10-er. Plus, she is so fun and witty. She is a great ambassador for women’s tennis. Welcome back, Petko! You've been missed!
 |
| Playing in her fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal, Petkovic beat Sara Errani 6-2,6-2 to finally take a step further and reach the semis. |
  |
| Although she lost to Simona Halep, Andrea Petkovic completed a successful comeback from injury by recording her best performance of her career. |
No comments:
Post a Comment