Ivanovic advances to semis in Austria

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:07

Looking to break out of a slump which dates back to June, Ivanovic is on the verge of reaching her first WTA final since winning her maiden grand slam title at the French Open.

Standing in her way on Saturday will be third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, a 6-3 6-2 winner over number five Nadia Petrova of Russia.

Since winning at Roland Garros and taking over the number one ranking as a result, Ivanovic is just 9-7.

The 20-year-old was the top seed at both Wimbledon and the US Open, but failed to reach the fourth round at either event and has dropped to fourth in the rankings.

Ivanovic holds a 2-0 edge in the series with Radwanska, who is enjoying a career season with three titles and a 53-19 record.

The 19-year-old Pole was also struggling coming into this event as she was just 8-6 over her last six tournaments and without a semi-final appearance since early August.

Second-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva continued the march toward her seventh final of the year, reaching the semis with a 7-5 6-1 win over eighth-seeded Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.

The world number eight and a two-time champion this season, Zvonareva awaits the winner of the match between sixth seed Marion Bartoli of France and unseeded Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko.

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