No. 1 Henin, Unseeded Kuznetsova in WTA Dubai final

Posted on February 29, 2004

Unheralded and unseeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the final at Dubai Friday when she upset No. 5 seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-0, 7-5, setting up a confrontation with world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne.

"I knew she was playing well but I was shocked by the first set," Sugiyama said after getting fed the Kuznetsova bagel. "She is very good and she can be even better."

Kuznetsova was coming off an upset of Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. Henin-Hardenne beat unseeded American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final. "I'm feeling good at the net," Henin-Hardenne said. "I know I have to go there more if I want to win Wimbledon one year. I have to push myself all the time to do that because sometimes I'm afraid of making a mistake or the passing shot." Henin-Hardenne has won all three meetings with Kuznetsova without dropping a set, including a third-round encounter at this year's Australian Open.

The teenage Kuznetsova will have the chance to walk away from Dubai with two titles when she and countrywoman Elena Likhovtseva team as the No. 2 seeds in the doubles final to face the No. 4-seeded team of Husarova/C.Martinez.

The top three seeds moved into the semifinals at Bogota Friday in (1)Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga (d. Castano), (2)Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (d. (Q)Popadic 6-0 in the third), and (3)Emilie Loit (d. Martinez Granados in three). Slovak Lubomira Kurhajcova (d. (6)Cervanova in the battle of Slovaks) is the only unseeded semifinalist. The Saturday semifinals line up as (1)Zuluaga vs. Kurhajcova, and (3)Loit vs. (2)Sanchez Lorenzo.

ATP REVIEW/PREVIEW
Three unseeded players swept into the Marseille semifinals Friday in Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty (d. (4)Max "The Beast" Mirnyi), Swede Robin Soderling (d. (5)Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez), and veteran Swede Jonas Bjorkman (d. (Q)Rosset). French homeboy Arnaud Clement (d. A.Martin) is the only seed in the semis at No. 7.

"This is a tournament I would like to win before the end of my career," Clement said. "I played a final here in 1999 but it seems like a long time ago. I'm very happy to be through to the semifinals, in Marseille, on this court, playing good tennis, I only have reasons to be happy so far this week." The semifinals will pit Soderling vs. (7)Clement (first meeting), and The Dominator vs. Bjorkman (Hrbaty leads 2-1).

The Costa Do Sauipe final on Saturday will be (3)Gustavo Kuerten (d.Acasuso in his semifinal) against Argentina's (4)Agustin Calleri (d. Luis "Me So" Horna). "Against Guga it is going to be a difficult match since we all know who Guga is, but I have confidence on my, I am playing well and if I manage to stay with a good concentration on the match I am sure I can be able to beat him," Calleri said. "I hope I can repeat the win of 2002 against Guga in Buenos Aires." Guga leads their career meetings 3-1. The doubles final will be all-unseeded in Fyrstenberg/Matkowski vs. Behrend/Friedl.

WTA DUBAI WINNERS
2003 Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)
2002 Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)
2001 Martina Hingis (SUI)

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Svetlana Kuznetsova's finalist effort at Dubai will put her into the Top 20 next week on the WTA Rankings for the first time...Svetlana Kuznetsova was brought up in sporting family, with father Alexandr a cycling coach to five Olympic and world champions, and coached both her mother Galina, the holder of 20 world records, and brother Nikolai, a silver medalist at the Atlanta Olympics. Kuznetsova tried cycling but it didn't take. "My first race I did well -- I came last," she said. "The second race was so boring I stopped. My father said 'Try something else.' So I did."...If the USTA is so dedicated to "growing tennis," why are they shafting U.S. Davis Cup fans by selling three-day-only ticket packages to Davis Cup matches?...The ATP announced an agreement with La Chemise Lacoste that will see the ugly-ass Lacoste clothing line extend its commitment as the official clothing sponsor of the Tennis Masters Cup for a three-year term through 2006. Lacoste sponsored the Tennis Masters Cup in 2002 in Shanghai and again in Houston last year. "We are very proud to be the partner of the Tennis Masters Cup. This closing event of the 2004 tennis season will be taking place in the U.S.A., the country so much liked by the founder of La Chemise Lacoste, Mr Renèñacoste," said Bernard Lacoste, Chairman and CEO of La Chemise Lacoste. And of the eight that qualify for the Masters Cup in 2004, how many will be wearing Lacoste? You guessed it. Zero. Ouch. Not exactly of Nike-type proportion. Try golf next year.