Sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze of Russia advanced to the US Open quarter-final with a victory over 16-year-old Tamira Paszek of Austria 6-1 7-5 on Monday.
World No. 43 Paszek fought off a match point with Chakvetadze serving at 5-4 in the second set and broke to make it 5-5. The 20-year-old Russian broke right back and held serve to claim victory in 78 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
The Austrian teenager can be very proud since she also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in her first season in the grand slams. “She’s only 16 years old, unbelievable,” Chakvetadze told the crowd. “She has a big future.”
In her third grand slam quarterfinal of the year, Chakvetadze will meet eighteen-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel. I would say that the slight favorite in this match is the Russian: she has won four titles in 2007, and holds a 2-1 lead in career head-to-head meetings with Peer. However, Peer won their last match at Indian Wells, and “killed her in practice before the tournament”. All this suggests a thrilling encounter. (via Reuters)