Kuznetsova Wins, Pierce Beaten at WTA Stuttgart
Posted on October 5, 2006STUTTGART, Germany -- Elena Dementieva knew she was in for a tough one when she drew Katarina Srebotnik in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. Their last two meetings went deep into the third set and the Slovenian has had quite the solid summer. True to form, they had another three-setter Wednesday but it was again the Russian who pulled through, fighting back from a 4-1 second set hole and overcoming cramping in the third to prevail, 46 75 75.
Dementieva struggled with errors throughout the three-hour duel, including 11 double faults, but still fought through the second set hole and third set ailment to win, a fighting spirit she has become known for, one which has kept her inside the Top 10 through much of the last few years and has brought her a pair of Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles this year.
"I feel very tired after such a long match," Dementieva said. "I didn't expect that it would go so long. In the third set, I started to feel some cramps. It was a very strange situation for me. I wasn't sure how bad it was, and it happened in a very critical moment. I was very relieved and at the same time very lucky to have won."
Dementieva is now 6-0 lifetime against Srebotnik, having won in three sets last year at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston (63 57 64), and at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this year (26 61 75).
Following Dementieva into the quarterfinals was another Top 10 Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova, a 61 64 winner against Martina Muller. Kuznetsova fared much better in her match, cruising through the first set and keeping ahead of her German opponent at the end to close out the win in just over an hour. It was Kuznetsova's ninth consecutive match win, having won four during her Bali title run and another four in winning Beijing. She is arguably the hottest player on the circuit at the moment.
The last four first round matches were also contested Wednesday. The highest seed still to play her opener, Francesca Schiavone (No.7), became the week's first upset victim, suffering a right wrist injury and handing a win to Iveta Benesova, 63 67(5) 30 retired. No.8 seed Jelena Jankovic won her opener with Mary Pierce, the only former Stuttgart champion in this year's draw, 76(7) 63; Daniela Hantuchova posted a 63 57 63 win over qualifier Sybille Bammer; and Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Karolina Sprem, 61 64, in a battle between qualifiers.
The six remaining quarterfinal berths will all be determined on Thursday. Top seed Amelie Mauresmo makes her first appearance of the week as she takes on Dutch phenom Michaella Krajicek; No.4 seed Nadia Petrova also makes her tournament debut, against Germany's best, Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
Also doing battle are Dinara Safina and Hantuchova, Shahar Peer and Patty Schnyder, Jankovic and Pironkova and Tatiana Golovin and Benesova.
-- WTA
Dementieva struggled with errors throughout the three-hour duel, including 11 double faults, but still fought through the second set hole and third set ailment to win, a fighting spirit she has become known for, one which has kept her inside the Top 10 through much of the last few years and has brought her a pair of Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles titles this year.
"I feel very tired after such a long match," Dementieva said. "I didn't expect that it would go so long. In the third set, I started to feel some cramps. It was a very strange situation for me. I wasn't sure how bad it was, and it happened in a very critical moment. I was very relieved and at the same time very lucky to have won."
Dementieva is now 6-0 lifetime against Srebotnik, having won in three sets last year at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston (63 57 64), and at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this year (26 61 75).
Following Dementieva into the quarterfinals was another Top 10 Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova, a 61 64 winner against Martina Muller. Kuznetsova fared much better in her match, cruising through the first set and keeping ahead of her German opponent at the end to close out the win in just over an hour. It was Kuznetsova's ninth consecutive match win, having won four during her Bali title run and another four in winning Beijing. She is arguably the hottest player on the circuit at the moment.
The last four first round matches were also contested Wednesday. The highest seed still to play her opener, Francesca Schiavone (No.7), became the week's first upset victim, suffering a right wrist injury and handing a win to Iveta Benesova, 63 67(5) 30 retired. No.8 seed Jelena Jankovic won her opener with Mary Pierce, the only former Stuttgart champion in this year's draw, 76(7) 63; Daniela Hantuchova posted a 63 57 63 win over qualifier Sybille Bammer; and Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Karolina Sprem, 61 64, in a battle between qualifiers.
The six remaining quarterfinal berths will all be determined on Thursday. Top seed Amelie Mauresmo makes her first appearance of the week as she takes on Dutch phenom Michaella Krajicek; No.4 seed Nadia Petrova also makes her tournament debut, against Germany's best, Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
Also doing battle are Dinara Safina and Hantuchova, Shahar Peer and Patty Schnyder, Jankovic and Pironkova and Tatiana Golovin and Benesova.
-- WTA