You need to pull off something special to upstage Maria Sharapova, but Germany’s Andrea Petkovic did just that in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Monday when she followed the victorious Russian on court and upset world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
Sharapova had looked very sharp in defeating fourth-seeded Australian Sam Stosur with surprising ease, 6-4, 6-1, but soon it was Petkovic who was catching the eye on a hot afternoon with her clever mixture of defense and attack against the steady Dane. Despite losing the momentum in the second set, Petkovic re-established control midway through the third and started going for winners when she sensed victory was within her grasp. She reached match point with a rasping forehand and then closed it out with an ace.
The crowd then was given the benefit of the Petko Dance, a little hip wiggle and shoe shuffle which came about as a result of a bet at the 2010 U.S. Open with her coach. She says she is going to stop doing it in favor of something new after this tournament, but one thing she is unlikely to do is to stop winning if she continues to play like this.
It is not just her tennis or her little dance that makes her such an interesting personality. Andrea is an attractive, highly engaging young woman who speaks flawless English (French, Serbian and, of course, German, too) and admits that her tendency toward a sarcastic sense of humor has got her in trouble in the past.
“Yes, it has got me in trouble because I made some mistakes,” she admitted, laughing at herself. “I’m more careful now, but I still try to stay as honest as I can.”
One thing she is ready to admit is the fact that Steffi Graf always has been her idol and that she felt it was an honor to be able to hit with her when she visited Las Vegas before playing in Indian Wells, Calif.
“It was such a huge experience playing with her and also getting to meet her and to see what a wonderful person she is,” Petkovic said. “I always get questions about Steffi from the German press, but for me there is such a huge difference between us. I would never compare myself to her because she won, what, 22 Grand Slams? I just managed to be in the quarters (at the Australian Open), so just being in the same sentence with her is, for me, a great honor.”
But there is no question that Petkovic can improve dramatically if she goes on playing like this. She is now 23 but only has been on the tour for three years because her father, a former touring pro who never quite made it, insisted on prioritizing her education.
“I had a big fight with my dad because he didn’t want me to be a professional player because he had already experienced this before,” she explained. “But now he’s totally behind me.”
The family left Bosnia when Andrea was very young to settle in Germany, but she still hangs out with all the Serbian players, especially Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic. She credits the easygoing friendship they have developed with her outgoing personality. “We are like chameleons. When we hang around together all the time and Novak is making his jokes, you start to try and be funny as well. Sometimes you are; sometimes you are not. But it’s just a very good energy between all of us.”
Petkovic went into Monday’s match with a plan and made it work.
“Most of the players think they can overpower Caroline, but I think that’s the wrong approach because that’s when she’s most comfortable,” Petkovic said. “What I try to do is mix it up and make her play, and then when I get a short ball, go for it.”
Wozniacki acknowledged that her opponent had played a smart game.
“If she had a plan, great for her,” she said. “It always hurts to lose, no doubt about it. I’m a fighter. I’m a competitor so I definitely always want to win, but there are a lot of good players out there and I cannot win every time.”
Petkovic will meet Jelena Jankovic, another Serb with whom she is friendly, in the quarterfinals. Earlier Monday, Jankovic swept past Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-3.
