Victoria Azarenka has progressed through to the semi-finals of the French Open after defeating Maria Kirilenko in straight sets at Roland Garros.
The opening 30 minutes of the contest was littered with breaks of serves, but the first set finally reached a conclusion via a tie-break, which Azarenka won 7-3.
The number three seed soon seized the initiative in the second set, breaking Kirilenko for a 3-1 lead, and from then on, it was one-way traffic, and the Belarusian soon wrapped up a 7-6 6-3 victory.
Read below to see how the action unfolded in Paris.
Hello, and welcome to Sports Mole's coverage of the French Open quarter-final match between Maria Kirilenko and Victoria Azarenka.
The Suzanne Lenglen court is beginning to fill nicely up for this last-eight encounter, which could prove to be a tight battle.
The players arrive on court to polite applause. Kirilenko is soon out for the warm-up, but Azarenka is keeping her waiting. Some mind games from the number three seed?
Both players are bidding to progress through to the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the first time. On Azarenka's part, it is quite surprising given that she has won two Grand Slam titles, but the Belarus star is favourite to make it through to the last four this afternoon.
Kirilenko, who is the number 12 seed, has enjoyed a superb tournament so far, emerging victorious from her opening four matches without losing a set. As for Azarenka, she has dropped just the one set, and she comprehensively defeated former champion Francesca Schiavone in the last 16.
It will be Kirilenko to serve first. Here we go...
BREAK! That's such an aggressive rally to start the match, with Azarenka coming out on top after some brutal hitting. She then comes out on top in another rally for 15-30, but Kirilenko strikes back with a cross-court forehand. However, Kirilenko makes a glaring error from inside the court, and it is break point, but she responds well with a huge first serve for deuce. She then saves a second break point in the same manner, but wastes a chance to seal the game when she fires a forehand wide. This is an exhausting first game, but Azarenka steps in to take the initiative, recording the game with a drive volley.
BREAK! The opening points are shared, before Azarenka shows frailty on her backhand to make it 15-30. She then makes an error on her forehand side and it is two break points to Kirilenko. That's a bit of a shocker from the Belarusian, who double-faults and Kirilenko is back level.
BREAK! The Russian takes the first point on serve, but a double fault brings up 15-15. Azarenka continues to be aggressive, and it is far too much for Kirilenko to handle, and two more break points are created when the number 12 seed goes long. The first is saved with another well-placed first serve, but a wide backhand hands her opponent a second break
BREAK! Both players are finding it surprisingly tough on serve, and it continues when Azarenka falls 0-30 behind with a forehand error. She then sends the ball long, and Kirilenko has three points to break serve. However, it only takes one when Azarenka mis-cues a backhand and we are back on serve...even though no-one has held serve yet!
Kirilenko eases into a 30-0 lead, but this error-strewn match continues when the Russian fires two baseline shots long. She keeps her composure with a strong serve to create game point, and we have our first hold of the match at the fifth time of asking when Azarenka sends the ball into the net.
The power on show in some of these rallies wouldn't look out of place on the ATP Tour. Both players trade baseline shots, and Azarenka has a 30-15 lead with two winners. Kirilenko then goes long, before a weak return allows the Belarusian to walk in and smash the winner. News from today's other quarter-final, and it is a stunning scoreline on Philippe Chatrier. Jelena Jankovic has taken the first set against Maria Sharapova 6-0!
Kirilenko has apparently called for the trainer. We will keep you posted. However, it doesn't prevent her moving into a 40-0 lead, before a scintillating cross-court backhand hands her the game.
The trainer is on court to tend to Kirilenko. It is unclear whether she has picked up the problem before or during this match, but it appears to be something in the Russian's lower back.
An official medical time out has been called, and Kirilenko has left the court for treatment.
Kirilenko is back. Only time will tell how she will compete from now on.
Kirilenko fails to return the opening two points, but a lovely cross-court shot loops just over the net for 30-15. The Russian's movement looks relatively ok in chasing down a Azarenka smash, but she can not prevent her opponent leveling things up at 4-4.
Azarenka makes her move after Kirilenko double-faults, driving a backhand down the line. However, the Russian responds superbly to take three points in a row, firing down two hefty first serves, but she has no luck with the net cord, which forces her to fire the ball wide. Azarenka's power continues to be relentless and she brings up break point, but it is saved by yet another big first serve under pressure, which is repeated two points later. The duo then trade winners and we are into a fifth deuce. Kirilenko double-faults once more, but a stunning forehand saves it for the third time in the game, and she finally holds on when Azarenka nets a backhand on the defensive.
Azarenka is serving to stay in the set, and that is a super first point, drilling a forehand into the corner. Some aggressive hitting from her opponent makes it 15-15, but a neat one-two from the Belarusian sees her regain the advantage. We are at deuce after some smart play from Kirilenko, but she isn't so smart when she lets a ball go thinking that it was going to go long. Azarenka takes the game when her opponent nets and we move to 5-5 after an hour's play.
BREAK! Some sharp net-play and a punishing return of serve earns Azarenka 0-30, but an ace down the T halves the deficit. That's too good from Azarenka, who moves Kirilenko out wide before stepping in for a forehand winner and she has two break points. The number three seed only requires one opportunity though, striking a backhand return into the corner, and she will serve for the first set.
BREAK! That's a miraculous shot from Kirilenko, whose defensive lob on the stretch finds the baseline, before a stunning drive volley brings up 0-30. This is inspired play from the Russian, whose cross-court return forces Azarenka into the error. The Belarusian saves the first break point, but not the second, and we are into a tie-break.
Both players make errors on the opening two points to exchange mini-breaks, before a backhand winner seizes an early lead for Azarenka. She strikes some damaging blows to wrestle another point away from her opponent, and a fourth double-fault from Kirilenko leaves her up against it. Another error from Kirilenko gives Azarenka a 5-1 lead at the change of ends.
A quality backhand volley gives Azarenka the lead, but Kirilenko hits back with a rocket of a return. The next two points are shared, before Azarenka smashes the ball past the out-stretched reach of Kirilenko, who can only send her next return long of the court.
SET! Azarenka brings up five set points when Kirilenko goes long, but the Russian saves the first two on serve. However, Azarenka isn't to be denied, thundering a backhand winner to move a set away from the semi-finals.
Azarenka sweeps into a 30-0 lead, before her second double fault of the match gives Kirilenko some encouragement. The Russian proceeds to go long on the next point, before netting a first serve from her opponent.
Azarenka looks almost despondent as he concedes the first two points of the game, and that continues when she mis-cues a backhand return. That will be encouraging for Kirilenko, who records a love-service hold.
A sharp backhand volley hands Azarenka the opening point, before a rocket of a return from Kirilenko levels things up. The next two points are shared, before Azarenka displays the kind of quality that has seen her win two major titles to secure the game.
MATCH! Kirilenko is serving to stay in the tournament, and she begins impeccably with an ace. She looks in control of the next point, but Azarenka fires a forehand winner down the line. The Russian then goes marginally long with a forehand, and the number three seed is two points away, before a net cord forces Kirilenko into the error and Azarenka has match point. Kirilenko finds the first serve, but Azarenka replies with a great return and Azarenka is into the French Open semi-finals.
BREAK! Kirilenko looks to be cruising to a service hold when she reaches 30-0, but Azarenka is soon back at her opponent, forcing an error on the backhand side, and it continues on the next two points, as Kirilenko gifts the game to her opponent with a double fault.
That could be the game that breaks the resolve of Kirilenko, who sends three service returns wide of the mark to hand Azarenka 40-0 without having to work for it. The trend continues on the next point, and all of a sudden, the number three seed is just two games away from the last four.
That's more promising from the Russian, who sends a fine forehand from the baseline shooting past Azarenka, and an error sees her move 30-0 up. She looks much more confident in this game, and an unreturnable first serve hands her the game.
The crowd begin to get behind Kirilenko as she takes the first point, but a couple of heavy shots from Azarenka earn her a 30-15 lead. A powerful serve down the T then brings up two game points, but Kirilenko hangs tough with two identical backhands down the line for deuce. Azarenka then comes out on top after an exhausting rally, and she takes the game when Kirilenko can't return serve.
That was a match littered with a mix of quality and errors, but the bottom line is that it was entertaining. Both players displayed their power in some fantastic exchanges, but Azarenka's superiority shone through in the end, and she reaches the last four in Paris for the first time.
It will be a quick turnaround in Paris, with Novak Djokovic and Tommy Haas due on court within the next 10 minutes. Thank you for following Sports Mole for this match, and we hope you will join us for the upcoming match. Goodbye for now.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
