In the first match of the Doha 2015 main draw, Flavia Pennetta came from a set down to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova and book her place in the second round where she will play Agnieszka Radwanska.  Kuznetsova had started with great promise; she looked confident and assertive as she went up a double break.  She lost the double break on two occasions as she failed to serve out the opening set, but broke again to win the opening set.  Pennetta had taken a medical time-out halfway during the set for a thigh injury.

The second set went with serve for the first five games.  It looked like Kuznetsova was turning the screw as she conjured up three break points at 6-3 3-2* 40-0*.  However, Kuznetsova was not able to take her chances as Pennetta saved all three break points and then broke Kuznetsova in the next game.  She soon wrapped up the set, 6-4.  Pennetta continued to improve in the third set in the windy conditions as her backhand (particularly down-the-line) became the star turn of the match.  Pennetta broke serve to go up a break in the third set and she didn’t lose the initiative as she won the third set with two breaks of the Kuznetsova serve.  Kuznetsova had 0-30 on the Pennetta serve after she got broken in the third set and also had a break point in the final game of the match… as was characteristic of this match, Kuznetsova was unable to take advantage of her opportunities.

Pennetta finished the match with 29 winners to 33 unforced errors, while Kuznetsova had 28 winners to 31 unforced errors.  Kuznetsova’s only win on the WTA tour in 2015 came via a retirement in Dubai last week.  After going winless in Australia, Pennetta is starting to find her form after a quarter-final appearance in Dubai.  She has beaten Radwanska in their last two match-ups so that should be an interesting second rounder…