Pennetta, Wickmayer in ASB final

BY ROBERT LOWE

Italian Flavia Pennetta will have experience on her side, while Belgian Yanina Wickmayer can rely on a litte bit of history, when the pair meet in the final of the ASB Classic tennis tournament tomorrow.

Both made it through to the title decider in Auckland with straight-set victories today.

Top seed Pennetta's passage was largely untroubled, as she despatched a disappointing Francesca Schiavone, her compatriot and doubles partner,

6-3 6-0 in just 57 minutes.

Wickmayer, the No 3 seed, had to repel a fightback from Israel's Shahar Peer before getting through 6-4 7-5.

Pennetta, 27, has eight WTA Tour titles from 17 final appearances.

Wickmayer, 20, has two from four.

However, the Belgian won the only previous meeting between the pair, in Linz last October, when she prevailed in straight sets at the semifinal stage on the way to her second title.

By coincidence, the pair were also the first and third seeds in Austria.

"She has been one of the most consistent players of the past two years and she's beaten everyone easily [this week]," Wickmayer said.

"She's older than me so she has a more experience and she has played in more finals. But it is a final and it's always tough."

Wickmayer produced some strong serves and solid forehands in her victory over Peer.

The Israeli fought hard throughout, but was hampered by double faults, a number of them coming at crucial times of a contest played in windy conditions.

Wickmayer, who has been getting over a back problem, said the performance wasn't her best and she was pleased to come away with the win.

She felt she made too many mistakes, especially at the start of the second set when her opponent gained a break of serve on the way to a 3-0 lead.

"But I just kept on fighting for each point and improved, and at the end I was playing really well."

Peer was disappointed she couldn't take full advantage of the opportunities she created.

However, she also wanted to the look on the bright side of a deep run in the first event of the season.

She refused to blame three close line calls that went against her, and about half a dozen net cords that bounced her adversary's way.

"In the middle of the match, I said in Hebrew to my mother, 'She's so lucky today'," Peer said.

"But I didn't lose the match because of a line call or the net. This is part of tennis."

Peer rated Pennetta as probably the favourite, "but a final is a final and both have won four matches and not lost a set".

Despite enduring four days of anti-Israel protests outside the venue this week, Peer said she would be happy to return to the Classic for a fifth time.

However, a complicating factor would be the clash with the Hopman Cup, which she had intended to play this week but for a delay in Israel's entry application.

Pennetta said it was tough facing Schiavone because the pair were such good friend.

"I was very nervous in the beginning because we know each other really well and it's not easy to play with one of my best friends," she said.

"She was also very nervous and she didn't play so well. But I think in the end I was starting to play better, making no mistakes, and my serve was good, so I'm really happy about where I am."

Having conceded just 16 games in her four matches, she admitted to some surprise at the ease of her progress to the final.

She had been disappointed in her first-round victory over American Jill Craybas, but then began to get over jet lag and to acclimatise to the conditions.

- NZPA