NEW YORK (Reuters) - World number 10 Flavia Pennetta saved six match points and advanced to her second successive U.S. Open quarter-final with a 3-6 7-6 6-0 victory over Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Pennetta, the first Italian woman to crack the top 10, was on the ropes for much of the 81-minute second set before winning the tiebreaker 8-6.
Zvonareva, 24, unraveled in the final set, falling in 33 minutes to lose for the second time to Pennetta in three career meetings.
Pennetta, seeded 10th, will next face number two seed and three-times champion Serena Williams.
"Serena is one of the best players in the world," Pennetta said in a courtside interview. "She's unbelievable. I'll have to play my best tennis to beat her."
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