Acapulco, Mexico - Venus Williams’s win over Czech player Barbora Zahlavova Strycova with a final score of 6-0, 6-3was the final step before the Acapulco finals on Saturday, where she will face Flavia Pennetta for the title. Williams recently won her 40th career singles title in Dubai and is reaching for her 41st in Acapulco. Venus reached the finals after defeating Hungarian player Agnes Szavay on her way to the semis after a seemingly difficult start in Mexico.
Flavia Pennetta, on the other hand, reached the finals spot after her victory over 2004 champion Iveta Benesova with a score of 6-3, 6-3. This will be her third Acapulco title in five years if she defeats Williams. She won the title in 2005 and 2008. The player remains modest, however, saying, “Six finals is incredible. I didn’t expect it or hope for it. Every year I come just hoping to play good tennis and produce a little magic for myself.”
The second-seeded Pennetta won three out of her five career matches against Williams, including their third round on clay of last year’s French Open. She was beaten in the final in 2004, but the Italian player served sported a better serve this time, claiming four of eight break points and lost her serve only once, clearly too much for Benesova. Pennetta improved her Acapulco record to 28-4 with this win.
“I am more famous here than in Italy, this is like my second home,” Pennetta said.