Crawford crushes Petkovic, Kerber advances past Pavlyuchenkova
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BRISBANE: American qualifier Samantha Crawford continued her breakout run by storming into her first WTA semi-final of the Brisbane International on Thursday after pummelling Andrea Petkovic.
The 20-year-old Atlanta native, ranked 142nd in the world, blasted 22 winners against the befuddled German in a 6-3, 6-0 rout to further enhance her reputation.
Crawford, a former US Open junior champion, is playing in just her sixth WTA Tour event and her strong showing at an event which has seen the top seeds succumb to injuries should bring her inside the top 100 for the first time.
She faces twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka who trounced US Open finalist Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-2. Fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber, the highest-ranked woman remaining in Brisbane, advanced past Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4, and will next play sixth seed Carla Suarez Navarro, who held off Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Roger Federer took 55 minutes to dispel all injury doubts with a 6-2, 6-1 routing of unheralded German Tobias Kamke in the second round.
Media speculations swirled around the fitness of the world number three less than two weeks before he launches his bid for a fifth Australian Open title and the Swiss maestro dismissed them by dropping only three games in a lop-sided contest.
“I’m going to do my best to stay injury free and give myself a chance to win another Grand Slam,” Federer said.
Results:
Men’s:
Second round: Lucas Pouille (FRA) bt David Goffin (BEL x6) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3; Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB) 5-7, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2; Milos Raonic (CAN x4) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-4; Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Tobias Kamke (GER) 6-2, 6-1
Women’s:
Quarter-finals: Angelique Kerber (GER x4) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-4; Samantha Crawford (USA) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-3, 6-0; Victoria Azarenka (BLR) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x8) 6-1, 6-2; Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x8) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016
