Kremlin Cup’s final match will be a battle of Russians who both won in three sets. Advancing into the final, Nadia Petrova held off Nicole Vaidisova, 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(3). She’ll meet Anna Chakvetadze who beat Elena Dementieva, 7-5, 3-6, 6-0. Chakvetadze is 2-0 against Petrova in career head-to-head matches.
Nadia raced to win the first three games of the match, right before she won a marathon fourth game, breaking Vaidisova’s serve and confidence for a 4-0 lead. Petrova won the first set handily, 6-0 in thirty-six minutes. In the second set, Vaidisova regained her composure as Petrova’s mobility was hampered. The young Czech led her Russian opponent, 5-1. Four games later, Vaidisova won the second set, 6-4, to even the match and push for a third deciding set, 6-4. The third set saw both players gave their best, both showcasing their great serving skills. Petrova was first to reach matchpoint with Vaidisova serving at 4-5, but Vaidisova successfully erased those matchpoints. Although in the end, Petrova was too good for Vaidisova as she won the tiebreak and the third set,7-6(3), to advance into the final round.
Petrova is 2-1 in career head-to-head wins over Vaidisova.
“We were both getting a little tight at the end,” Petrova said. “It was a matter of who could keep the ball in. After I had those match points I told myself I’m still in with a very good chance to win; my experience helped me through in the end.”
“I certainly didn’t think I had the match won after I saved all those match points,” said Vaidisova. “There was still a lot of work to be done. Nadia played better than me when it mattered. My serve worked well most of the match, but wasn’t good enough.”
Awaiting Petrova in the final is Anna Chakvetadze, who prevailed over the fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva in the all-Russian second semifinal.
Despite struggling in the earlier part of the first set and receiving medical treatment on her left shoulder, Chakvetadze still won the first set, 7-5. Dementieva roared back in the second set with a 6-3 win, to stretch the match into a deciding third set. Having used up her energy in her second set win, Dementieva couldn’t hold off Chakvetadze’s charge for a 6-0 win in the third set.
“I still can’t believe I’m in the final of the Kremlin Cup,” Chakvetadze said. “For Russian players this is a very important tournament, and I’m so happy to be just one match from possibly winning the title.”
“I was too tired in the end and couldn’t bring my best tennis to the court today,” Dementieva said. “I had two very tough matches this week and was trying very hard to be fully fit after I had some trouble with my leg last week but in the third set she was simply fresher than me.”
