Radwanska Shuts Out Scheepers To Move Into Korea Quarterfinals

September 17, 2014 | By Brian Coleman
Agnieszka_Radwanska

Agnieszka Radwanska moved one step closer to defending her title at the Kia Korea Open early Wednesday as she pitched a shutout in a 6-0, 6-0 rout of South African Chanelle Scheepers. The top-seeded Pole needed just 49 minutes to dispose of Scheepers and advance into the quarterfinals.

Scheepers had a chance to grab momentum early as she had two break point chances in the opening game. Radwanska fought both of those, held serve and never looked back. She didn’t face a single game point the rest of the match, and won all 12 games to double-bagel the unseeded South African.

It is the fourth time in her career at the WTA level that she won 6-0, 6-0. She is three match wins away from winning back-to-back titles at the Korea Open, having beaten Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in a tight-three setter last year. Her next opponent will be Varvara Lepchenko of the United States, after the fifth-seed knocked off South Korean wildcard Han Na-Lee 7-5, 6-1.

“Overall I think I started a bit slowly, but I managed to put it together and started playing better and getting my focus together in the second set,” said Lepchenko. “It was just about staying in the game and staying focused at the right moments. I got more comfortable as the match went on.”

Radwanska is 5-1 all-time versus the Lepchenko, but that one loss came in the two’s most recent meeting. Lepchenko beat Radwanska in the second-round of the Bank of the West Classic in July; something that the fifth-ranked player will try and make amends for.

Two other players gained entry into the tournament’s quarterfinals on Wednesday. Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova pushed past Anna-Lena Friedsam in a three-setter 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2. American Christina McHale also advanced, as she defeated Mona Barthel 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

The other four quarterfinal spots will be booked on Thursday in Seoul.


Brian Coleman

 Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com

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