Roberta Vinci

Leave it to JJ to somehow figure out how to pull a Marilyn Monroe *during* a point.

She had to call on her immense glitter skills to come back from a set down today, finally edging out Roberta Vinci, 36 63 76(6). A little too close to comfort there. But a win is a win and she's now into the semis.

In the other match of the morning, AMG survived her battle with Errani, 62 67 75. They'll play each other on Saturday, in what should be a pretty good clay duel.
In Friday’s second semifinal at Barcelona Open clay-court event, a sixth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci outlived Spanish crowd favorite Laura Pous-Tio 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). The Italian made a comeback and pocketed a critical break to level the match at one set a piece, after losing the first set 6-4. Until the tie-break, the decider exceeded all expectations and saw high quality tennis, where Vinci took control to complete the 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) win in two hours and 35 minutes of play.

With sixteen service and return games per player, Pous-Tio lost the match in eight games. Vinci had won an extraordinary 53 percent of the total points at the end of the tie-breaking set. Overall, in the entire match, she won 115 of 224 points. She saved seven of thirteen break points and scored a total of two aces.

In last year’s all- Italian Barcelona finale, Vinci lost to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone and she was the titlist here in 2009. Seeking a fourth title, the 28-year-old Vinci will appear in her fifth career final.
Czech Lucie Hradecka will be Vinci’s opponent in the 2011 final. Hradecka thrashed Sara Errani, the No.5 seed in straight sets with a 6-1, 7-5 scoreline, thereby ending the hopes of an all-Italian final. The 25-year-old Prague native is 0-3 in her previous career WTA finals.

The internet sportsbooks have seen quite an exciting time. Tennis fans until now had a good run in the tennis betting arena. The best odds for Lucie Hradecka are 4/6 and Roberta Vinci 24/17.