18
Aug
Cincinnati Open 2011 Match Preview: Victoria Azarenka vs. Shahar Peer
In an attempt to revive her glorious form on hardcourts, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka takes on Israeli giant killer Shahar Peer in her Cincinnati Opener.
World No.4 Victoria Azarenka takes on Israeli Shahar Peer to advance to the next round of the 2011 Western and Southern Open, a WTA premier event being played here in Cincinnati, USA. Azarenka shot to super stardom two years ago in Miami, when she beat then No.1 Serena Williams to claim title glory. After leaving the Crandon Park this year with yet another winner's trophy, Azarenka proved that her win in 2009 was no fluke. The Belarusian star also reached the finals in Madrid and picked up her second title of the year in Marbella. With her first ever Grand Slam semifinal finish at Wimbledon, Azarenka has reached new heights in her career. Last week, Azarenka made an impressive statement with her power play and reached the semifinal in Toronto before bowing out to eventual champion Serena Williams.
World No.4 Victoria Azarenka takes on Israeli Shahar Peer to advance to the next round of the 2011 Western and Southern Open, a WTA premier event being played here in Cincinnati, USA. Azarenka shot to super stardom two years ago in Miami, when she beat then No.1 Serena Williams to claim title glory. After leaving the Crandon Park this year with yet another winner's trophy, Azarenka proved that her win in 2009 was no fluke. The Belarusian star also reached the finals in Madrid and picked up her second title of the year in Marbella. With her first ever Grand Slam semifinal finish at Wimbledon, Azarenka has reached new heights in her career. Last week, Azarenka made an impressive statement with her power play and reached the semifinal in Toronto before bowing out to eventual champion Serena Williams.
Azarenka's opponent, Israeli Shahar Peer is currently ranked No.24 in the world and has 5 WTA singles titles to her name. Peer made an impactful start to the season with two quarterfinal finishes in Dubai and Indian Wells and reached the final later this year in College Park before losing to Nadia Petrova.
Both players have contested 3 matches already and Azarenka has recorded wins in each one of them.
Azarenka is a clear favourite in today's match as well. However, Peer is an accompolished hardcourt player and is very much likely to pose a serious threat to the Belarusian if she manages to get a good start in the match.
Validates to