Stefanini beats Zakharova 6-4 6-2 in Cincinnati qualifying

Lucrezia Stefanini controlled her Cincinnati qualifying semifinal from start to finish, easing past Anastasia Zakharova 6-4 6-2 to keep her run alive. The Italian's edge came behind the first ball: she landed 69 percent of her first serves and won 61.2 percent of those points, while Zakharova, despite a higher first-serve rate of 74.3 percent, took only 40.4 percent of the points that followed. Stefanini also kept her sheet clean with no double faults, denying her opponent any cheap openings. The straight-sets win moved her a step closer to the main draw.