Tennis

Zvonareva wins 2nd-round match at Australian Open

Published Jan. 18, 2012 8:46 p.m. ET

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Seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia has defeated Lucie Hradecka 6-1, 7-6 (3) in a second-round match at the Australian Open.

Zvonareva dominated the tiebreaker, taking a 5-0 lead after five unforced errors by the Czech player, four of them on errant backhands. The Russian clinched Thursday's match when Hradecka dumped yet another backhand into the net.

Under mostly sunny skies at Margaret Court Arena, Zvonareva continued her recent strong play in this tournament, having advanced to at least the fourth round in each of the last three years, including two semifinal appearances at Melbourne Park in 2009 and 2011.

Zvonareva is one of 12 Russians in the main women's singles draw this year, the most of any country.

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