Kuznetsova, Clijsters Into Quarters at WTA Warsaw

Posted on April 28, 2005

No. 2 seed and current US Open holder Svetlana Kuznetsova got her claycourt campaign off on the right foot, eventually, Wednesday with a not-so-easy 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 win over Anna Smashnova at the WTA stop in Warsaw.

No. 7 seed Kim Clijsters also battered her way into the quarterfinals, dropping only three games against Russian qualifier Maria Kirilenko, and was joined by seeds No. 5 Elena Bovina (d. Hantuchova in three), and No. 8 Silvia Farina Elia (d. (Q) Ondraskova).

"I was seeing the ball a little better and didn't make all those unforced errors," said Clijsters, trying to wrap her brain around a difficult clay transition in time for Roland Garros. "In my mind as well, I was positive, focused and it was definitely a big step forward compared to yesterday."

Scheduled for Thursday in Warsaw are Zvonareva vs. Ivanovic, Henin-Hardenne vs. Vento-Kabchi, Domachowska vs. Dechy, and Schnyder vs. Vakulenko.