Flavia Pennetta eliminates No. 2 seed Samantha Stosur in straight sets

Pennetta eliminates Stosur in straight sets

CARLSBAD, Calif. — Flavia Pennetta moved into the semifinals of the Mercury Insurance Open with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 2 seed Samantha Stosur on Friday.

Pennetta’s win over Stosur means all three of the top seeds have been eliminated.

Pennetta took control with her consistent and accurate ground strokes, along with a more effective serve. Pennetta had 19 winners compared to 12 for her Australian opponent.

“It’s a good feeling because she’s one of the best players,” said Pennetta. “She has had an unbelievable year. It’s never easy to beat this kind of player. For me, it’s much better to play against her.”

Pennetta has beaten Stosur, world ranked No. 5, in all three career meetings, including twice this year.

Stosur, the French Open runner-up this year, did not record an ace and had five double faults. Stosur is considered to be the second-best server behind No. 1 ranked Serena Williams. Pennetta had eight aces and just one double fault.

“I can return her kick serve. There are few shots that I have that can make her nervous all the time,” Pennetta said. “She’s one of the best servers. I am really comfortable with her ball. I can handle the speed.”

Said Stosur: “She makes a lot of balls and runs everything down. She really makes you work for every point you win. Sometimes that can be a little bit frustrating.”

Pennetta has 13 career wins over a top 10 ranked player, but it was her first since the 2009 U.S. Open.

Pennetta, the No. 5 seed from Italy, will face the winner between Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova and local teenager Coco Vandeweghe in the semifinals.