Safina powers into Open third round

MELBOURNE - Russian Dinara Safina was typically unpredictable as she moved into the Australian Open third round with a straight sets win over the Czech Republic’s Barbora Zahlavova Strycova on Wednesday.

By (AFP)

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Published: Wed 20 Jan 2010, 1:48 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 8:57 AM

Safina, the second seed, made nine more unforced errors (40 to 31) than her 57th-ranked opponent in winning 6-3, 6-4 in 93 minutes.

However, she could never accused of playing conservatively and also belted 31 winners, while Zahlavova Strycova hit just seven.

The biggest drama for Safina came when serving for each set, facing multiple break points each time.

When the 23-year-old served for the match in the second set, she had to come from 0-40 down and save four break points to close it out.

It was a match where the emotions of both players were laid bare for all to see, the pair taking it in turns to vocalise their frustrations about missed opportunities.

Zahlavova Strycova’s frustration was understandable, as he was unable to convert any of nine break points, while Safina made two of just six.

The pair had split their two previous encounters, although their last meeting was back in 2005.

Safina will face unseeded Englishwoman Elena Baltacha in the third round.


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