Analysis for Petrova-Errani (WTA Australian Open)

Head-to-head record 0:0

Experienced Russian player Nadia Petrova will play Italian clay court specialist Sara Errani in the second round. Petrova is former World No 3 but she is now far from her best and it is very unlikely she will ever manage to get back. She is a baseline counterpuncher with good offensive capabilities. Her groundstrokes are powerful and are usually hit very flat, with minimal topspin, though she herself admits that she can adjust her style of play to the court conditions when needed. She hasn’t played a single match in 2012 until the Australian Open in the first round of which she hasn’t convinced us she has a good form. She defeated Czech qualifier in 3 sets and will now face Italian Sara Errani who demolished another qualifier Savinykh in the first round. Despite her small size, she has a relatively powerful serve. Her footwork, balance, and court coverage are exceptional and she is adept at changing from a defensive style to an aggressive one. She likes to play on slow surfaces but is competitive on hard courts as well. We expect a very tight match and Errani is a slight favourite for us.