Vera Zvonareva Dominates First-Round Match at Australian Open

Filed under: Australian Open, WTA

With two straight Grand Slam runner-up finishes and a comfortable draw ahead, second-ranked Vera Zvonareva is equipped to win her first singles major at this year's Australian Open. There's a lot of work ahead for the 26-year-old Muscovite, but she didn't disappoint in her first-round match Tuesday.

Often seen as an emotional ball of nerves with a towel draped over her head, Zvonareva has come up short in the most pressure-filled situations over the years. But she is currently playing at a career-high ranking of No. 2, and the Russian has finally learned to use her emotions in her favor.

Zvonareva's on-court maturation continued during her first-round match. Zvonareva defeated Sybille Bammer, 6-2, 6-1, in just 59 minutes. She convincingly closed the match out with a flurry of powerful groundstrokes that typifies her game.

Source: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2011/01/17/vera-zvonareva-dominates-first-round-match-at-australian-open/

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