TENNIS Live

WTA Berlin - Semi-finals - Women

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Russian FederationD Safina66---
BelarusV Azarenka41---

Dinara Safina

Nationality RUS
Date of Birth 27/04/1986
Height 1.82 m
Weight 70 kg
WTA Ranking 13

Victoria Azarenka

Nationality BLR
Date of Birth 31/07/1989
Height 1.8 m
Weight 60 kg
WTA Ranking 28
Player Info Right-handed
 

Live Comments

  1. - - Safina is through to her first final of the year, and her third Tier 1 final...she is yet to win one, and will be really keen to make that breakthrough...

  2. 6-1 - AND THERE IT IS! It's a sad end, with the youngster hobbling round in obvious pain...great credit to her for battling on...Safina was ruthless...

  3. 5-1 - Azarenka is hobbling round...the problem seems to be with the youngster's left ankle...she is utterly immobile...another break, and Safina is just a game from the match...

  4. 4-1 - Safina is powering through...she holds as she is going from strength to strength...Azarenka calls for the trainer...she seems to be indicating that she has injured herself somewhere along the line...

  5. 3-1 - Azarenka is clearly very upset with the way things are going...she might even be crying...Safina is ruthlessly exposing the youngster's inexperience here...

  6. 2-1 - Safina looks really keen to take advantage of Azarenka's frustrations and get a break in this second set...

  7. 2-1 - Azarenka is furious with herself as Safina moves to an easy hold...the youngster smashes her racquet into the clay three times before going back to her chair...

  8. 1-1 - Azarenka does well to recover her composure and hold at the start of the second set...

  9. 1-0 - Everything's going a bit pear-shaped for the youngster...Safina immediately breaks at the start of the second set...she's firmly in the driving seat now...

  10. 6-4 - SET! Safina takes the opening set when she sets up a couple of break points with a drive-volley...she needs just the one set-point...she takes the opener 6-4

  11. 5-4 - A fourth ace from Safina gets her out of a bit of a hole at 15-30...but then an anxious backhand sliced wide means another break-point...saved...and she finally holds...

  12. 4-4 - ...but another double-fault hands Safina another break-point...although a great volley at the net saves it...the Russian does break at the sixth attempt though, as Azarenka fires down another double...

  13. 40-40 - ...very strangely, though, Azarenka then falls to 0-40 on her own serve as Safina looks to break back...two brilliant serves help her recover somewhat...and then a fine drive from Safina's short effort takes it to deuce...

  14. 3-4 - Safina smashes a ball into the net after a poor shot hands Azarenka a break-point...but she recovers her composure well to open up the court before firing a forehand winner to take it to deuce...BUT AZARENKA GOES ON TO BREAK FOR A SECOND TIME!

  15. 3-3 - Safina gets to 0-30 on the Azarenka serve when the youngster drills a shot straight at her at the net and Safina reacts to brilliantly divert the ball into play...and she goes on to break to love to level things up!

  16. 2-3 - Another double for Safina, but at 40-0, it's not too much of a problem...although when she fires long on the next point, things start to get a little nervy...but she does eventually hold with a fizzing forehand winner...

  17. 1-3 - ...and Azarenka completes the comeback to hold...good determination from the youngster...

  18. 40-40 - Safina earns a break-back chance....some poor play from Azarenka...but she saves it with an ace out wide...

  19. 1-2 - An ace down the T...second-serve ace for Safina...but she then gifts Azarenka the first break points of the match with a double-fault...and the first break does go to the 18-year-old with a fine drop-shot...

  20. 1-1 - Safina blasts a backhand winner down the line at the end of a long baseline rally...some really fine backhands at the start of this match...Azarekna holds to 30.

  21. 1-0 - Safina holds in her opening service game...good start for the Russian...should settle any nerves for the seed.

  22. - - The players are just going through their final knock-ups...good crowd in the stadium, and it is another fine day...

  23. - - Hi there; welcome to our live coverage of the first of today's semi-finals...

WTA Race 2008

Points
1 Ana Ivanovic 2761 down
2 Jelena Jankovic 2645 up
3 Serena Williams 2590 up
4 Maria Sharapova 2455 stay
5 Elena Dementieva 2051 up
6 Svetlana Kuznetsova 1821 down
7 Venus Williams 1766 up
8 Agnieszka Radwanska 1727 stay
9 Dinara Safina 1723 stay
10 Vera Zvonareva 1524 up

Full Table »