Having successfully translated positive training during the Tour’s suspension onto the tournament court, she was delighted, explaining: “It’s always difficult to tell how it’s going to be on court. “I was quite aggressive, consistent, and I served especially well in the first set. From 2-5 down, the top seed held comfortably and then broke as Kontaveit’s game wavered for the first time. I was just going to have to fight.". "I felt like a played a very good match today," world number 22 Kontaveit said. Instead it was Kontaveit who benefited from the stoppage, ploughing through Martic’s serve without dropping a point to seal a place in her third clay-court final. To find out more about our use of cookies and how you can disable them, please see our Privacy Policy. Will be used in accordance to our Privacy Policy. Martic, Kontaveit dig deep to advance to Palermo quarter-finals (Reuters) - Top seed Petra Martic was forced to recover from a set down to beat Russian … First to the final Anett Kontaveit upends top seed Petra Martic 6-2, 6-4 and punches her ticket to a first final of the season!#PLO20 pic.twitter.com/8Wan44eCed. Samsonova, ranked more than 100 places below Martic, impressed in the opening set to break the Croatian and take the lead in the match but the 21-year-old soon discovered that beating a top 20 player was no easy task as Martic dug in. (Reuters) - Top seed Petra Martic was forced to recover from a set down to beat Russian qualifier Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 6-4 6-2 to book her spot in the quarter-finals of the Palermo Ladies Open on Thursday. Martic, Kontaveit dig deep to advance to Palermo quarter-finals. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. The 24-year-old Estonian, who is closing in on her best ranking of No.14, dominated the opening set before fighting back from dropping her serve in the first game of the second to seal victory in 79 minutes. Kontaveit wrested control in the third set, breaking Siegemund twice again for the win but not before she saved four match points in the final game. It got a bit close in the end, but I played a good game at 5-4 and I'm happy to be in the final.". Win a $20K Vegas Getaway - Join the free BetMGM | Yahoo Cup today! Get all the sports news you need, direct to your inbox. Top seed Petra Martic was forced to recover from a set down to beat Russian qualifier Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 6-4 6-2 to book her spot in the quarter-finals of the Palermo Ladies Open on Thursday. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy. Martic, having come through a gruelling three-setter with Liudmila Samsonova on Thursday, was forced to concede a break in the opening set against Sasnovich before fighting back to take it to a tiebreak in which she prevailed. She next faces 24-year-old Estonian fourth seed Anett Kontaveit who hit 57 winners to end Italian teenager Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s dream run with a 6-1 4-6 6-1 win. (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar). The WTA World No.22, playing in her first semifinal since Stuttgart in April 2019, improved her record against Top 20 players in 2020 to 3-4, adding Martic to a list already including Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina. “I felt like a played a very good match today,” she said. Instead, it was Kontaveit who powered through Martic's serve to book a place in her third claycourt final. Kontaveit upsets Martic to seal Palermo final spot No.4 seed Anett Kontaveit has moved one step closer to her second WTA Tour title after dispatching Petra Martic at the Palermo Ladies' Open. A medical timeout between sets for treatment on her upper left leg briefly disrupted her rhythm as she was immediately broken in the second, yet Martic’s advantage was brief as she was unable to consolidate. Martic will meet Kontaveit, who beat teenage wildcard Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1 4-6 6-1. "Laura is a really tough opponent and I really felt like I had to lift my game in the second set and play more aggressive," Kontaveit said. He Built An $18 Billion Empire From Scratch... Jon Gruden struggles to properly wear mask days after drawing $100K fine, Former Super Bowl champion Montana thwarts kidnapping attempt on grandchild, MLB's postseason bracket is set. ", (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar), Video: My heart said no to U.S. Open defence, says Nadal (Reuters), Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Watch the presidential debate with live fact-checking by USA TODAY's team of experts, Aldi's $15.9 billion of annual sales in the UK and Ireland prove that its market share is growing — and the US is next in its sights. "The struggle was real out there today," Martic said. PALERMO, Italy — Top-seeded Petra Martic and fourth-seeded Anett Kontaveit advanced to the semifinals of the first tour-level event in five months at the Palermo Ladies Open on Friday. Playing in her first semi-final since Stuttgart in April 2019, Kontaveit struck 31 winners and broke Martic's serve five times. "Overall I really didn't really enjoy myself. "I was quite aggressive, consistent, and I served especially well in the first set. As the sun set in Sicily, Martic seemed rejuvenated when the lights came on, breezing through the final set in 35 minutes without conceding a single break point and wrapped up the 2-1/2 hour contest with an ace to advance. Kontaveit now has a 5-5 record in WTA semifinals and will go into Sunday’s showpiece chasing her second title, with her only previous success coming on the grass of Rosmalen in June 2017. "She's not the type of player I like to play. Ferro progressed to only her second WTA final after rallying from a set down to beat home favourite Camila Giorgi 2-6 6-2 7-5. Martic converted a break point late in the second set to move within one game of Kontaveit but a medical timeout halted her momentum. I feel like I’m really fit and I feel like I’m moving well. We use cookies to provide our services and for analytics and marketing. (Reuters) - Estonia's Anett Kontaveit produced an aggressive display to stun top seed Petra Martic 6-2 6-4 on Saturday as she set up a title showdown at the Palermo Ladies Open with Fiona Ferro. Here's how to watch a jam-packed slate of playoff baseball, Jalen Smith sees fit with Wizards, but grew up a Lakers fan because of Kobe. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Ganna eyes Giro d'Italia maglia rosa after Worlds time trial victory, Quiet Bull Market Erupting in One Tiny Sector, Players practice at Roland Garros ahead of French Open, Blooper of the year? It was the fifth time in six opportunities that Martic had been denied a point to win the Estonian’s serve to that juncture. I feel confident with my groundstrokes, I’m serving well. Click here to find out more info. Every week receive player features, tournament news, and WTA Insider content with the WTA First Serve newsletter. I can feel well practiced but it might not turn out like that right away. I thought I didn’t play badly. The 24-year-old from Estonia took time to adapt as Siegemund dictated the tempo of the match in the early stages but broke the German twice in the second set to take a 3-0 lead before closing out the set. Kontaveit upsets top seed Martic to set up Ferro final in Palermo (Reuters) - Estonia's Anett Kontaveit produced an aggressive display to stun top seed Petra Martic 6 … Although Kontaveit had to fight to save her serve in the opening game of the match, doing so from deuce, she thereafter took command of the match, offering good depth to her hitting, which forced her opponent onto the back foot. Kontaveit now had all the momentum in her favor and strengthened her grip on the match as ceaseless quality on her returns saw her generate a 4-1 lead. Within a game of her opponent, Martic was forced off for a medical timeout that lasted several minutes, and when she returned, she found her momentum lost. Martic, the top seed at the WTA International event that marks the return of the Tour amid the coronavirus pandemic, overcame Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 6-4 6-2. PALERMO, Italy – Anett Kontaveit upset the seedings to progress to the final of the Palermo Ladies’ Open with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over No.1 seed Petra Martic. Anett played well, she played smart and was the better player today.”. "I think that's what made the difference after the first set. No.4 seed Anett Kontaveit has moved one step closer to her second WTA Tour title after dispatching Petra Martic at the Palermo Ladies' Open. 0:00 Croatian Martic… I had a few chances I missed, and in the end that makes a difference. It got a bit close in the end, but I played a good game at 5-4 and I’m happy to be in the final.”, Martic praised her opponent's quality, stating: “It was a tough one. DK Metcalf blows a TD, fumbles when he eases up before he crossed the goal line, Week 3 takeaways: Carson Wentz's struggles are worse than they appear, How To Replace Your Roof On A Budget (It's Genius), Chargers botch potentially winning trick play for walk-in TD vs. Panthers, All the Postseason Teams We Didn’t Bandwagon Yet | The Bandwagon, Carroll: Adams, Carson, Lewis could return soon for Seattle. Martic, meanwhile, was struggling to rekindle the solid serving that had propelled her to the final four, registering only 56% points won on first serve in the opener while she struggled to control her backhand. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to our use of cookies. By contrast, Kontaveit was playing with confidence and in clutch situations showed a strong mentality, fighting back from 0-30 down to hold in the seventh game of the frame before securing another break to seal the opener. She plays really fast, flat, low, on this court it can be tricky with bad bounces. The crucial minutes of the second set followed in the third game as Kontaveit was forced to defend a break point before holding to take a 2-1 lead. I’m pleased it’s paid off.”. Victory also represented some measure of revenge for a defeat suffered at the quarterfinal stage in Dubai, the pair’s only previous meeting, while it sets up a showpiece encounter against either Fiona Ferro or Camila Giorgi, both of whom are unseeded. The 23-year-old Frenchwoman dashed Italian hopes for a second consecutive night, having defeated former Palermo champion Sara Errani in the quarter-finals. What might have been an uneventful conclusion, however, instead turned dramatic. Earlier, fourth seed Anett Kontaveit also had to mount a comeback after losing the opening set to Germany's Laura Siegemund before prevailing 3-6 6-2 6-2. (Reuters) - Estonia's Anett Kontaveit produced an aggressive display to stun top seed Petra Martic 6-2 6-4 on Saturday as she set up a title showdown at the …