TENNIS Live

U.S. Open - Round 2 - Women

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Russian FederationD Safina66---
ItalyR Vinci43---

Roberta Vinci

Nationality ITA
Date of Birth 18/02/1983
Height 1.63 m
Weight 60 kg

Dinara Safina

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

Live Comments

  1. 3-6 - There it is! Safina wins it! Vinci nets a low volley on matchpoint, and it's all over. Safina is through to the third round. 6-4 6-3 the score.

  2. 3-5 - A backhand winner from Safina gives her a second matchpoint.

  3. 3-5 - Safina now at matchpoint...but she goes long with a backhand.

  4. 3-5 - The first is saved by a big Safina first serve...as is the second! Deuce.

  5. 3-5 - Fantastic running pass on the forehand from Vinci!!! Shot of the match so far - and it gives her two break-back points.

  6. 3-5 - Wonderful sliced backhand from Vinci. 15-15.

  7. 3-5 - 15-0, as the Russian makes her power from the baseline count.

  8. 3-5 - Safina breaks at the second opportunity! She will now serve for the match at 5-3.

  9. 3-4 - Safine at 15-30 on the Vinci serve...and now 15-40 as she forces the Italian into an error on the backhand.

  10. 3-4 - Safine has hit 23 winners compared to Vinci's 12 so far.

  11. 3-4 - There it is! Vinci breaks back!! Game on! She managed to fight back from a break down in the first set, only to be broken for a second time. She has fought back again - can she now cling on to her service games?

  12. 2-4 - Two big serves in a row from Safina. Vinci challenges the call on the sideline on the second one...and indeed it was out!

  13. 2-4 - Safina in trouble on her serve suddenly! 0-40 as a Vinci lob eludes the Russian!!

  14. 2-4 - And indeed she takes it. It's vital that she doesn't let herself be broken again, otherwise it would pretty much be curtains. As it is though, she remains in contact with her Russian opponent.

  15. 1-4 - Vinci earns what would be a vital gamepoint with a decent body serve.

  16. 1-4 - The players have been on court for exactly an hour now.

  17. 1-4 - Another big serve from Safina brings her to 4-1 and confirms the break! She did well to battle back from 0-30 down there.

  18. 1-3 - Another fine forehand winner from Safina, but she is still at 15-30 on her own serve...

  19. 1-3 - Safina takes the break at the second opportunity though! Could that be the decisive break of the match? She now leads 3-1.

  20. 1-2 - Safina now with breakpoint...but she nets a routine forehand and then screams at herself in frustration.

  21. 1-2 - But Safina goes on the attack and wallops a forehand up the line to bring it back to deuce.

  22. 1-2 - Fine drop shot from Vinci after an admittedly lucky net cord. 40-30.

  23. 1-2 - Safina makes her power count to close out the game to 15 though. We're on serve at 2-1 at the start of the second set.

  24. 1-1 - Vinci may be a set down, but she is at least playing to her potential now. Whereas at the start of the amtch she appeared nervous and cautious with her shots, she is now opening up and going for her shots. She has just cracked another fine backhand up the line for a winner.

  25. 1-1 - Cracking backhand pass up the line from Vinci! That seals the game.

  26. 0-1 - 30-30 on the Vinci serve...and the Italian plays a tactically excellent point, drawing her opponent in before passing her on the volley, to give herself gamepoint.

  27. 0-1 - Dinara Safina hit an impressive 16 clean winners in that first set.

  28. 0-1 - Safina at 40-30 in the first game of the second set...and an error from Vinci gives the Russian the game.

  29. 4-6 - There's the first set! Safina breaks Vinci for the second time in the match. 6-4 the score.

  30. 4-5 - "Come on!" is the cry from the Russin now though, as she dispatches a backhand winner.

  31. 4-5 - Safina thumps a ball away in anger after putting a forehand volley into the net at 15-30 on the Vinci serve. That would have given her two setpoints.

  32. 4-5 - Wallop! An emphatic smash there from Safina. She ploughs the ball into the ground and sees it rebound up into the stands. 15-15.

  33. 4-5 - And Safina closes it out to edge 5-4 ahead again.

  34. 4-4 - Two big first serves, the first of the an ace, brings her to 40-30.

  35. 4-4 - Safina at 15-30 on her serve. What a turnaround we are witnessing.

  36. 4-4 - Bang! Another big first serve, and there it is. We're at 4-4. Safina challenged the call, but needn't have bothered. It was plum on the centre line.

  37. 3-4 - Vinci really is finding her form here. A fine body serve takes her to 40-15, and a point away from even-stevens.

  38. 3-4 - Safina under pressure on her serve now. 0-40...and Vinci has the break! Safina overhit her backhand, and we're back on serve.

  39. 2-4 - Vinci moves to 40-0, and then closes the game out to 15. She seems to be slowly finding her confidence here on Arthur Ashe Court.

  40. 1-4 - Game, as the Russin steps into the midcourt to blast a forehand winner home.

  41. 1-3 - Fine hitting from Safina. A flurry of powerful groundstrokes run Vinci all over the court, and move her to 40-0.

  42. 1-3 - And she saves the second too, before going on to hold, forcing Safina into an error at the net. The Italian is finally on the scoreboard.

  43. 0-3 - A double-fault from the Italian gives Safina two breakpoints for a 4-0 lead. Safina blasts a forehand long on the first one...

  44. 0-3 - Safina off target with what was a fairly simple smash. She remains the aggresor though. 15-15.

  45. 0-3 - But Safina rattles off two points in quick succession to move 3-0 up first set. The Russian is looking strong.

  46. 0-2 - High forehand winner from Safina gives her a point for 3-0...which Vinci saves.

  47. 0-2 - Safina battles back to 30-30.

  48. 0-2 - Suddenly it's 0-30 on the Safina serve as Vinci plays a dropshot on the volley to perfection.

  49. 0-2 - Breakpoint again as a Vinci forehand finds the net...and this tie Safina capitalises with a big backhand return that Vinci can't deal with.

  50. 0-1 - And she saves the second breakpoint too, thanks to a lucky netcord. Deuce.

  51. 0-1 - That's better from Vinci. She finally opens up to hit a clean forehand winner crosscourt. 30-40.

  52. 0-1 - Vinci in trouble now though. Safina looks dominant. 15-40.

  53. 0-1 - Vinci wins her first point of the match thanks to a well-judged lob. 15-0.

  54. 0-1 - The Russian then thumps an inside-out forehand straight down the line for a clean winner to clinch the first game of the match.

  55. 0-0 - Fine start from Safina. She races to 40-0 lead on her serve as Vinci puts a backhand slice into the net.

  56. 16:08 - First of all though she must face Italy's Roberta Vinci on Arthur Ashe in their second round clash

  57. 16:07 - Russia's Dinara Safina has been enjoying a blistering run of late and is many people's pick for the women's title this year

  58. 16:05 - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage from day four of the US Open