Nadia Petrova is looking like the real deal after eliminating No. 3 seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova in an all Russian match at the 2010 Australian Open. It took three sets, but Petrova got the job done, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
Petrova picked up where she left off in her last match when she blasted past Kim Clijsters. In this 4th round match, Petrova took the first set from Kuznetsova 6-3. Kuznetsova battled back winning the 2nd set 6-3 to level the match at one set all. Kuznetsova seemed to have the momentum. But Petrova picked up her game and Kuznetsova committed too many unforced errors and was broken three times in the final set. Petrova won that deciding set 6-1.
By the end of the match, Kuznetsova looked demoralized. Petrova answered everything Kuznetsova gave her.
Nineteenth ranked Petrova only reached the Quarterfinals at the Australian Open once before, back in 2006. She has never made it beyond the Quarterfinals there. Perhaps this is her year, although she will face a tough Quarterfinal opponent, the winner of the Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer match.
