Peng through after Santangelo pulls out

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:17

Italian Santangelo started strongly as she broke Peng’s serve in the sixth game of the first set before closing it out to take the opener 6-3.

But Peng, who lost to eventual champion Serena Williams in the third round of the Australian Open last month, battled back in the second set as she broke Santangelo’s serve in the fourth game before her opponent retired with Peng leading 5-2.

Peng will play Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan in the next round after the 24-year-old defeated Jarmila Groth of Slovakia 4-6 6-2 6-1.

The opening set went with serve for the first eight games before Groth, who until last week was Jarmila Gajdosova before her marriage to fellow professional and Australian number nine Sam Groth, broke serve in the ninth game to move into a 5-4 lead before closing out the set.

But Voskoboeva battled back in the second set, breaking serve early before winning it 6-2. She maintained that momentum in the final set as she raced into a 3-0 lead and although Groth won the next game, Voskoboeva closed it out to claim the set and the match.

Elsewhere, Vera Dushevina of Russia defeated compatriot Elena Bovina 6-4 7-5.

Dushevina will face either fourth seed Sybille Bammer of Austria or Poland’s Urszula Radwanska in the next round.

Ksenia Pervak had little difficulty despatching of Japan’s Tomoko Yonemura 6-1 6-1.

Next up for the Russian is a meeting with either second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark or Chan Yung-jan of Chinese Taipei.

Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here