Williams sisters one step closer to quarterfinal clash; Safina survives Bacsinszky battle

Dinara Safina and the Williams sisters made their way into the fourth round on Day 6, and the sisters are one round away from a quarterfinal clash.

Venus won her third round match easily to Alona Bondarenko in just four minutes short of an hour, 62 61.

"The Wimbledon win helped me change my mentality, to realize not everything had to be perfect all the time," said Williams, whose current 10-match Grand Slam winning streak includes seven wins at the All-England Club. "If I don't have a perfect practice I don't get really upset about the whole tournament. Now if I don't have a perfect practice, I know I can play. That helps me to relax, so I think the way I'm playing right now has to do with playing well at Wimbledon."

Next up for Venus is Agnieszka Radwanska, who won her match to Dominika Cibulkova 60 63.

Serena, the younger sister, won her match with the same score as Venus, to No. 30 seed Ai Sugiyama, 62 61.

"I have played her before and I've played her a lot in doubles, so I pretty much know her game," said Williams on Sugiyama, against whom she is now 4-0 lifetime. "Those players are good to play because you know what to expect and what not to expect. Now I'm just focusing on my next match."

Next up for Serena is Severine Bremond, who beat Tathiana Garbin, 75 36 64.

Other players winning third round matches on Saturday afternoon were No.16 seed Flavia Pennetta, who beat No.19 seed Nadia Petrova, 46 64 63; No.32 seed Amélie Mauresmo, who beat qualifier Julie Coin, the conqueror of top seed Ana Ivanovic, 64 64; and qualifier Anna-Lena Groenefeld, who upset No.17 seed Alizé Cornet, 64 75. Pennetta will play Mauresmo in the next round; Groenefeld will play No.6 seed Dinara Safina, who rallied past Timea Bacsinszky in the feature night match on Arthur Ashe, 36 75 62. Bacsinszky was up 63 54 before Safina won nine of the last 12 games of the match.

Today's Results

Friday, August 29, 2008

Singles - 3rd Round
Jelena Jankovic (2), Serbia, def. Zheng Jie, China, 7-5, 7-5
Li Na, China, def. Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Elena Dementieva (5), Russia, def. Anne Keothavong, Britain, 6-3, 6-4
Katarina Srebotnik (28), Slovenia, def. Svetlana Kuznetsova (3), Russia, 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki (21), Denmark, def. Victoria Azarenka (14), Belarus, 6-4, 6-4

Jankovic manages to get to second week; Davenport, Kuznetsova ousted

On Day 5 at the US Open, many seeds were pushed to the limits, especially Jelena Jankovic, who managed to get through to the second week of the last Grand Slam of the year.

Jankovic, seeded second and the highest seed left, battled against Jie Zheng in a 2 hour and 9 minute match, and eventually was the one who advanced to the next round, 75 75.

"That last game was especially tough; so many advantages from her side and so many match points for me," said Jankovic about the final game of the match, which went to deuce 11 times. "I really wanted to win that game, because I didn't want to go to a tie-break. I didn't want to give my opponent a chance to go to a third set because anything can happen. We were both tired. I'm happy to have won in two sets. Of course, winning is the important thing."

Svetlana Kuznetsova wasn't so lucky as Jankovic, falling to Katarina Srebotnik in straight sets, 64 67(1) 63.

"I could have played better but I was really fighting, and I wanted so much to win that match," Kuznetsova said. "She served very well and came into the net so many times. She was more aggressive than I was. I played on the baseline too much. She would come into the net and I wasn't able to keep her back.

"It happens, but I just have to go back to the court and work harder and harder and just look forward to play my next tournament. I have a difficult schedule coming up. Ups and downs happen with everyone. To be the toughest, you have to keep fighting to get up when you have your downs."

No. 5 seed Elena Dementieva won her match to British Anne Keothavong, 63 64. Anne was the first Brit to get to the third round since 1991.

"I think she's probably the best British player I've ever played," Dementieva said. "She has very good potential, she's very aggressive, and she has a good serve. Her whole game is pretty good. It's just a matter of experience. I'm sure she'll keep getting more experience. She's still pretty young."

The night match featured former US Open champion Lindsay Davenport and No. 12 seed Marion Bartoli. The American former No.1 was in bad shape on Friday, which eventually made her lose the match to the Frenchwoman, 61 76(3).

"I had match point at 5-3 and Lindsay aced me on the line; there's nothing I could do about it, I was just trying to play each point," Bartoli said. "If Lindsay wasn't going to give me the match, I had to take it from her. If it takes three sets, it takes three sets. I was ready for three, anyway. I'm very happy to win today."

"I never felt comfortable out there; I was trying so hard to get back in the second set, was able to do that, and then, gosh, I played one of the worst games of my career at 5-all," Davenport said. "It's the way it goes. I gave myself more of a chance and clawed my way through not playing great, and made it competitive. But it's just a shame. I had all the momentum, saved match point, came back and broke her and then I just gave it right back to her."

Today's Results

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Women's singles, 2nd Round

Julie Coin, France, def. Ana Ivanovic, 1, Serbia, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Serena Williams, 4, US, def. Elena Vesnina, Russia, 6-1, 6-1
Dinara Safina, 6, Russia, def. Roberta Vinci, Italy, 6-4, 6-3
Venus Williams, 7, US, def. Rossana Del Los Rios, Paraguay, 6-0, 6-3
Agnieszka Radwanska, 9, Poland, def. Mariana Duque Marino, Columbia, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3)
Tathiana Garbin, Italy, def. Agnes Szavay, 13, Hungary, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
Flavia Pennetta, 16, Italy, def. Peng Shuai, China, 6-2, 6-7 (8- 10), 6-1
Severine Bremond, France, def. Nicole Vaidisova, Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-3
Timea Bacsinszky, Switzerland, def. Chan Yung-Jan, Taiwan, 6-3, 6- 2
Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Sabine Lisicki, Germany, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
Nadia Petrova, Russia, def. Hsieh Su-Wei, Taiwan, 6-4, 6-2
Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia, def. Ioana Olaru, Romania, 6-2, 6-2
Ai Sugiyama, Japan, def. Olga Govortsova, Belarus, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
Alize Cornet, France, def. Bethanie Mattek, US, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
Amelie Mauresmo, France, def. Kaia Kanepi, Estonia, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Germany, def. Jessica Moore, Australia, 6-1, 6-3

Ivanovic gets tossed away from the US Open by Coin

Ana Ivanovic was struggling due to the quality of her preparation in her second round match, and she eventually didn't make it to the third round, as she was surprisingly ousted by Julie Coin in a tough three-setter.

Coin made Ivanovic only the third top seeded woman at the US Open to lose before the quarterfinals, the first being Billie Jean King in 1973 (lost in third round), and the second being Justine Henin in 2004 (lost in fourth round), as the Frenchwoman won 63 46 63.

"I was nervous going onto the court because I never saw her play before and did not know what to expect," Ivanovic said. "I thought I could slowly get into the match, but she played completely differently than what I expected. She was serving extremely well and hitting very powerful shots. I really struggled and made too many unforced errors, and my serve was not working really well.

"Obviously it's very frustrating, because I know I can play so much better. It was a very, very disappointing loss for me, but it's something I just have to accept, especially with everything that has happened in the past month or two."

"Today I didn't feel it, and my last match was also good," Ivanovic continued about her thumb. "I'm just happy to be back on track without pain. If you asked me if I'm playing like No.1 at the moment I'd say probably not, but I can't judge too much on that because I really haven't had chance to practice. This kind of loss I had today is an incentive to work harder, to go back on court and keep working hard."

"I'm not thinking about anything right now; I'm just enjoying the moment, and I will see what's going to happen next," Coin said. "I'm just playing match after match. I don't realize yet that I beat the No.1 in the world. I don't realize that I played on the big court. I don't know how I'm going sleep tonight."

Coin will next face countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo, who won to Kaia Kanepi in three sets, 26 64 60.

"She has influenced a lot of French players," Coin said of Mauresmo. "I know her because she's from my region, so I've seen her. She was No.1 in the juniors. I followed her career. She's kind of an idol in France. Everybody loves her. We all want to follow her steps. I've never played her though, so we'll see."

"I didn't think it was going to be such an easy match for Ivanovic because I saw her first round match and I could see that the confidence was not quite there," Mauresmo said. "It was a surprise, but not a really big surprise."

Dinara Safina and Venus Williams also had the same success as Coin, both winning their second round matches. Safina defeated Roberta Vinci, 64 63; Venus beat Rossana de los Rios, 60 63.

"I think it still could have been better - I was 4-1 up in the first set and let it go to 4-all," Safina said. "I'm lucky I served well because it could have been much more difficult if that wasn't working well. I think there is much more room for improvement. So I hope I can do better in my next match."

"I just had a lot more power than she did today," Williams said on de los Ríos. "She hits a lot of high balls, which isn't that effective against players of my height and reach. It didn't phase me. But she kept raising the level of her game and making it more competitive, even in the end. It was a tough battle."

Serena Williams had an even quicker win than her sister, gaining victory over Russian Elena Vesnina, 61 61.

"I like quick matches. They're the best," Williams declared. "I feel like I've been practicing a lot and playing so many matches. I feel like she played pretty well and hit some really good angles. We didn't have too many long rallies but I was serving pretty well, and I think that's one of the main keys to my game."

Today's Results

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Women's singles: 2nd round

Magdalena Rybarikova, Slovakia, def. Tamira Paszek, Austria, 6-1, 6-2.
Patty Schnyder (15), Switzerland, def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, 6-3, 6-3.
Svetlana Kuznetsova (3), Russia, def. Sorana Cirstea, Romania, 7-6 (3), 6-1.
Li Na, China, def. Sara Errani, Italy, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, def. Ekaterina Bychkova, Russia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Anne Keothavong, Britain, def. Francesca Schiavone (25), Italy, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Tatiana Perebiynis, Ukraine, def. Vera Zvonareva (8), Russia, 6-3, 6-3.
Elena Dementieva (5), Russia, def. Pauline Parmentier, France, 6-2, 6-1.
Katarina Srebotnik (28), Slovenia, def. Yvonne Meusburger, Austria, 6-1, 6-3.
Jelena Jankovic (2), Serbia, def. Sofia Arvidsson, Sweden, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5.
Zheng Jie, China, def. Anabel Medina Garrigues (26), Spain, 6-1, 6-4.
Sybille Bammer (29), Austria, def. Aravane Rezai, France, 6-1, 7-5.

Jankovic nearly shocked; Zvonareva ousted by Ukrainian

Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova both survived their second round tests, although Vera Zvonareva didn't, as she fell to a Ukranian in straight sets.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded third, made it through to the third round, beating Sorana Cirstea in tough straight sets, 76(3) 61. In the first set, Cirstea took a 4-2 lead quickly, but the Russian regrouped herself and came back to battle the first set out in a tiebreak. After winning the first set, thing were easy for Svetlana, as she won it 6-1.

"I knew she had been to the academy where I train, but I never really saw her play," Kuznetsova said. "She hits the ball really flat and fast. For me, it was all about the first set. When I was in danger I realized I had to play more to her forehand, because her backhand was making so many good shots. I was very surprised with her level. It was a tough match for me."

Jelena Jankovic, seeded second, was in danger against Sofia Arvidsson, but the Serb managed to close it out in a long, tight three-setter, 63 67(5) 75.

Elena Dementieva had no trouble at all, gaining easy victory against Pauline Parmentier, 62 61.

"I don't think she was playing at her best level today," Dementieva said about Parmentier. "Maybe she was a little bit nervous. It was quite difficult because of the wind and the sun. So I'm satisfied I was able to finish in two sets."

Vera Zvonareva was the stunned player on Wednesday, falling to Ukrainian Tatiana Perebiynis, 63 63. It was Tatiana's first career Top 10 win.

Lindsay Davenport, champion here in 1998, was featured in the first night match, against Alisa Kleybanova, winning 75 63.

"I pride myself in trying to give my opponent no rhythm, and I felt I was getting the same tonight," Davenport said. "I'd get a couple of big serves, some winners, missed balls... so it was tough to get on a good roll. I'm happy I was able to pull it out in both sets and just get through this match, because I didn't feel like it was very pretty tennis. Some days you have to just make it through."

Today's Results

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Women's 1st round

Dinara Safina (RUS x6) bt Kristie Ahn (USA) 6-3, 6-4
Agnes Szavay (HUN x13) bt Gail Brodsky (USA) 7-5, 6-3
Flavia Pennetta (ITA) bt Stefanie Vogele (SUI) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Mariana Duque Marino (COL) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 0-6, 6-3, 6-2
Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-1, 6-0
Olaga Govortsova (BLR) bt Sandra Zahlavona (CZE) 6-3, 6-1
Roberta Vinci (ITA) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 6-1, 6-4
Ana Ivanovic (SRB x1) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
Ai Sugiyama (JPN x30) bt Andreja Klepac (SLO) 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 (retired)
Anna-Lena Groenfeld (GER) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x11) 6-4, 6-2
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x9) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-4, 6-2
Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-2, 6-4
Tathiana Garbin (ITA) bt Maret Ani (EST) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5)
Julie Coin (FRA) bt Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4)
Nadia Petrova (RUS x19) bt Olivia Sanchez (FRA) 6-2, 6-4
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA x31) 6-4, 6-1
Serena Williams (USA x4) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-1, 6-4
Nicole Vaidisova (CZE x20) bt Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 6-1, 6-2
Jessica Moore (AUS) bt Melanie Oudin (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5)
Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x18) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) 6-3, 6-4
Riona Raluca Olaru (ROU) bt Edina Gallovits (ROU) 6-0, 6-2
Rossana de los Rios (PAR) bt Hana Smorova (CZE) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-0, 6-3
Bethanie Mattek (USA) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 6-4
Alize Cornet (FRA x17) bt Camille Pin (FRA) 7-5, 6-0
Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Julia Vakulenko (UKR) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Severine Bremond (FRA) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 7-6 (7/0), 6-4
Alona Bondarenko (UKR x27) bt Jamea Jackson (USA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Venus Williams (USA x7) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-2, 6-3
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x32) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Ivanovic nearly shames tennis world; Williams sisters, Safina cruise through

Ana Ivanovic, the Williams sisters and Dinara Safina all went happily through to the next round, but the top seeded Serb had some trouble and nearly made bad history.

Ivanovic nearly became the first top seed in the Open Era to lose in a first round match, but she was lucky to get through against tough opponent Vera Dushevina in a thrilling three-setter, 61 46 64.

"I'm very, very happy, because just to be here and to be able to compete is a great achievement," said Ivanovic, who has been struggling with a right thumb injury over the last few months, which caused her recent withdrawal from the Olympics in Beijing. "I only started practicing this Monday; so I thought I did pretty well. When I first went on the court I was very excited and started to play really well. Obviously lack of practice showed a little bit later, but I'm thrilled to have an opportunity to slowly get into tournament."

Serena and Venus Williams had easy matches on their debut day, as they both won in straight sets, the younger Williams beating Kateryna Bondarenko, 61 64; while the older Williams won to Samantha Stosur in the night session, 62 63.

"I am just taking it one match at a time; I'm just happy to have this one over with," Serena said. "This tournament I'm feeling great. I'm feeling confident and really, really, really enjoying myself. I love every moment out there."

"I think she played well; her game plan was just to go for everything, and I think sometimes it worked, but maybe it was just a little too much," Venus said. "I thought I just played really straightforward tonight. Nothing super special. I didn't try anything too crazy. If anything, I tried something a little opposite than I usually try - I tried to be a little more consistent, so that was something new."

Safina, who is the won her last 32 out of 36 matches, made it 33 out of 37, after winning to American wildcard Kristie Haerim Ahn, 63 64.

"It was difficult match because I never saw her play before, and actually she was a good player, so that was a little bit unexpected," Safina said. "It was pretty windy too, so I'm happy that I could play two sets and win my match."

Today's Results

Monday, August 25, 2008

Singles - First Round
(2) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. (WC) Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 63 61
(3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (Q) Zhang Shuai (CHN) 64 62
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) 64 75
(8) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 64 63
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. (10) Anna Chakvetadze (RUS) 16 62 63
(12) Marion Bartoli (FRA) d. Galina Voskoboeva (RUS) 62 63
(14) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 62 61
(15) Patty Schnyder (SUI) d. (Q) Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) 63 36 63
(21) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (WC) Ahsha Rolle (USA) 62 61
Tamira Paszek (AUT) d. (22) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 63 36 64
(23) Lindsay Davenport (USA) d. Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 64 62
Li Na (CHN) d. (24) Shahar Peer (ISR) 26 60 61
(25) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) 75 75
(26) Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) d. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 64 75
(28) Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) d. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 36 60 63
(29) Sybille Bammer (AUT) d. Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 64 62
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. Carla Suárez Navarro (ESP) 62 75
Zheng Jie (CHN) d. (Q) Shenay Perry (USA) 62 63
Sara Errani (ITA) d. Jelena Kostanic Tosic (CRO) 64 62
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) d. Marina Erakovic (NZL) 63 76(2)
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 64 46 62
Iveta Benesova (CZE) d. Karin Knapp (ITA) 60 63
Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) d. Yan Zi (CHN) 62 64
Aravane Rezai (FRA) d. (WC) Asia Muhammad (USA) 62 64
Tatiana Perebiynis (UKR) d. Mariya Koryttseva (UKR) 61 64
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. Vania King (USA) 62 46 62
Anne Keothavong (GBR) d. (Q) Alexa Glatch (USA) 62 62
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) d. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 64 60
Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) d. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 67(3) 64 62
Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) d. Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 61 63
Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) d. Lourdes Domínguez Lino (ESP) 61 62
(Q) Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) d. Emilie Loit (FRA) 60 62

Favorites are through to second round; Chakvetadze knocked out immediately

As the US Open kicked off on Monday, most of the favorites of the last Grand Slam cruised through to the next round, including Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic, Elena Dementieva, and Linsday Davenport. The unlucky seed was Anna Chakvetadze, who lost to a countrywoman in a three-setter.

Dementieva, seeded 5th and a gold medalist this year at the Olympics, was the first to emerge to the the second round, beating Akgul Amanmuradova in straight sets, 64 75. Amanmuradova was serving for the set and had two set points, which she didn't have enough strength to close out, as the Russian kept fighting and didn't give up.

"It's very hard not to think about the Olympic Games, and very difficult to refocus and get ready for the Open," Dementieva said. "Yesterday I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't because I was watching the closing ceremony from Beijing. My mind is still there. But first rounds aren't easy and I really had to focus."

Linsday Davenport, a former champion here in 1998, also had an easy first round match, winning to Aleksandra Wozniak, 64 62. The American is now 2-0 in head-to-head result against the Canadian.

"I thought I did pretty well considering I haven't really played since April," said Davenport, who had played one singles match in the last four months because of a nagging right knee injury. "I drew a tough opponent in the first round and I'm happy to have played the way I did and get through with this scoreline."

Kuznetsova, third seeded, had the same ending score as Davenport, gaining victory over Zhang Shuai 64 62.

No. 2 seed Jelena Jankovic was featured in the first night match of the US Open, against Coco Vandeweghe of the US, beating the wildcard 63 61.

"I was just excited to go on court and to play my match and get the job done," Jankovic said. "I didn't know my opponent very well. It's always tough to play an opponent who doesn't have anything to lose as well. There were windy conditions out there too. But I did as much as I needed to do to win the match."

Anna Ckahvetadze was the first seed that was surprised by a defeat in the first round, falling to compatriot Ekaterina Makarova, 16 62 63.

Wozniacki wins second title of career to top seed

Caroline Wozniacki performed perfectly throughout the week, making a finishing touch to the tournament after winning in New Haven, Connecticut.

Next week, the Dane will break into the Top 20, after winning to Russian top seed Anna Chakvetadze in a three-setter, 36 64 61.

"Anna was playing really aggressive; I was playing into her game too," Wozniacki said. "I was thinking, if I win this tournament I have to play my own game, and make her do the things I want her to do. I realized I'd lose if I didn't change something anyway, so I just tried to change my tactics. And it worked."

"I didn't recover from yesterday's match well enough," said Chakvetadze, whose semifinal match against Mauresmo was played Friday night. "I just didn't have enough power, especially in the third set. It's quite important that you're able to run and fight on the court. If you can't do that, you're going to lose."

Even though Chakvetadze lost the final, she has had an impressive season so far.

"I won quite a few matches and I'm actually pleased with my game, except for today," said Chakvetadze, who hadn't reached a final since Paris [Indoors] in February. "If I compare the way I played to one month ago, it's much better. I'm looking forward to playing the US Open. It's the most important tournament. I'll get a day off in between each match so hopefully I can stay fresh for each one."

"My first title was in Scandinavia, but it was smaller than this," Wozniacki said. "This is a really big tournament before the US Open and I beat some really great players to win it. I'm just happy to have won both tournaments!"

Battle of two teenagers over; Dane wins in straight sets

Caroline Woznaicki is one of the biggest rising stars on the Tour, especially after getting to the finals of the Pilot Pen Tennis presented by Schick.

Wozniacki, who ousted No. 3 seed Marion Bartoli in the quarters, had an easy match against No. 7 seed Alize Cornet, after beating the Frenchwoman in straight sets, 75 64.

"I knew if I let her play her game and her decide the points, it would be difficult for me to win," Wozniacki said. "I was just running and it didn't pay off, so I was just thinking I had to step into the court and play my own game, and if it worked out, it worked out. I didn't have anything to lose anyways."

"I'm disappointed but it's okay because I think I played a good match," said Cornet, who was playing her first hardcourt semifinal on the Tour. "I didn't have an easy draw. I beat Vaidisova, Srebotnik and Hantuchova, three really big matches for me. So I'm really confident for the US Open. The most important thing is to be ready physically, but mentally everything is okay."

Woznaicki won her first career tournament recently in Stockholm, Sweden, and she was the first Dane to do so in singles.

"It has been a really good month for me," Wozniacki said. "I won my first tournament in Stockholm then went over to the Olympics. Even though I lost in the third round to Dementieva it was a great experience for me there. I got to know all the other athletes from my country. The team spirit and the opening ceremony, it was just an amazing experience that you don't get every day."

Wozniacki will face either No. 1 seed Anna Chakvetadze or her semifinal opponent Amelie Mauresmo, who has had a great run here in New Haven.

Chakvetadze wins easy match for spot in semis; Hantuchova can't withstand pressure, loses

Anna Chakvetadze breezed through after her easy win in the quarters, while Daniela Hantuchova couldn't withstand the pressure, and fell before reaching the semifinals in New Haven, Connecticut.

Chakvetadze, seeded first, was on fire since the start of the tournament, as she beat Sorana Cirstea easily, 63 63.

The score was 63 63, but it was tough," Chakvetadze said. "Each game was really tough; we went to deuce all the time and there were a lot of break points. It was also really hot out there and I felt a little dizzy at times. But I was fighting until the end. That match I lost to her, I was a totally different player."

"I was in the semis here a few years ago and my goal was to be in the semis again, so now I'm looking forward to taking the title," she added. "I'm pleased with the way I'm playing this week. It's much better than it has been."

The Russian will next face Amelie Mauresmo, who ousted No. 4 seed Agnes Szavay in straight sets, 64 75.

"I'm definitely very happy about this one; it was even better than yesterday," said Mauresmo, who had beaten No.5 seed Patty Schnyder on Wednesday. "I've definitely needed these few matches to get back on the right track in terms of my game. I thought I mixed it up pretty well tonight and was really solid, not giving her many free points and making her work for every point. I also came in and really made her guess a lot. So yeah, I'm just pretty happy."

"I was definitely looking for my confidence then, and I feel I'm playing much better now," Mauresmo said on their most recent encounter. "She's definitely one of the young ones coming up. Very talented. She's playing a little bit differently from the other young girls. She's capable of doing different things, playing a little bit soft and then suddenly changing the pace, putting spin on both sides. So it'll probably be a little bit of different match than tonight. We'll see how it goes."

Two 18-year-olds will be playing for a final berth on the bottom half. Alize Cornet and Caroline Wozniacki will have a tough battle for a spot in the final. Cornet, seeded seventh, was the one who ousted Daniela Hantuchova in a three-set thriller, 36 64 64; and Wozniacki was the one who ousted Marion Bartoli, seeded third, in straight sets, 64 60.

"I didn't play my best level today, but I just tried to keep fighting the whole match," Cornet said. "Daniela is a really, really good player, and if I won without playing my best, that's a very good win for me. If I play better tomorrow I think I'll get to the final, so that's the goal. I just hope to play my best tennis."

"Everything was just going my way today," Wozniacki said. "Maybe my game doesn't suit her game. There are always some players you don't want to meet. I'm fighting for every point and running everything down, and I don't think she likes it. But every match is different - you go on the court and it's 0-0, and you never know what's going to happen. Hopefully I can continue this way."

"Caroline reminds me a little bit of Hingis, but more powerful," Bartoli said. "She's a great mover and sees the ball very early, like Martina used to. But she has better pace, especially on her serve. She's really consistent and doesn't give you any free points. You have to earn every point. And this is her best surface."

"Caroline is a very good player," Cornet said. "We've known each other since we were 11. We played our first match together when we were 11. We're the same age. Hopefully my leg will be okay because I'll need to do a lot of running."

"We've grown up together," Wozniacki said. "We played so many times in the juniors and twice last year. She's a really good player. It's going to be a tough match. We always have tough matches. But we'll see - I'm just happy I won today, and we'll see what happens tomorrow."

Chakvetadze eases through to quarters; Hantuchova survives three-set thriller

On Wednesday, top seed and tournament favorite Anna Chakvetadze advanced to the quarterfinals after her win over an Australian in straight sets.

Chakvetadze, coming as far as the semifinals here in 2005, won an easy match against Casey Dellacqua, 64 64. Throughout the match, there were 10 breaks, which matched the 10 holds in the one hour and eight minute match.

Daniela Hantuchova, seeded second, also came through to the next round, surviving a thrilling three-setter against Olga Govortsova, who pushed the Slovakian to the limits in the 2 hour and 29 minute match. Danilea had lost the first set 63, but she didn't give up, and despite facing some match points in the last set at 3-5 and 5-6 down, the Slovakian was able to close it down with a 36 62 76(4) victory.

Two of the three other seeds in action were ousted. No.5 seed Patty Schnyder lost for the 13th time in 19 career meetings against Amélie Mauresmo, 64 36 76(6), after holding match point at 6-5 in the third set tie-break; No.6 seed Flavia Pennetta was picked off by Sorana Cirstea, 36 64 63. No.7 seed Alizé Cornet was also pushed to three sets but won, beating Katarina Srebotnik, 76(3) 46 62.

Bartoli, Szavay survive opening matches; Kirilenko ousted

Three first round and two second round matches were being played on Tuesday, with all three seeds winning their debut matches.

No. 6 seed Flavia Pennetta was the first to take the courts, eventually breezing through into the next round after a win to Gisela Dulko, 63 61. Amelie Mauresmo, unseeded, also had good luck, after fighting Kaia Kanepi, and winning 62 67(3) 62. Maria Kirilenko didn't have such success as Mauresmo, as she was ousted by qualifier Monica Niculescu, 67(7) 62 61.

No. 3 seed Marion Bartoli was featured in the first second round match, almost being ousted by Tsvetana Pironkova, but winning in the end, 26 64 75. No. 4 seed Agnes Szavay also had a tough opener, taking it to three sets and playing for more than two and a half hours against lucky loser Sara Errani, but winning 64 67(3) 64.

Two seeds pass first round test; one seed retires due to heat illness

On Monday in New Haven, Connecticut, the seeds had a tough day, as two seeds won their debut matches and one seed fell in the first round.

Patty Schyder and Alize Cornet were the seeds who won. The Swiss, seeded fifth, was pushed to the limits by American Jill Craybas, but she eventually won the match, 64 76(2); Cornet, seeded seventh, needed strength to survive her match against Nicole Vaidisova, to win 63 76(8). Cornet won to Vaidisova in the first round of the Olympics, which was an advantage.

Dominika Cibulkova was unlucky on Day 1, as she lost the first set to Dane Caroline Wozniacki 76(7), before retiring due to heat illness in the first game of the second set.

Petrova wins to Dechy in Cincinnati, wins title

Nadia Petrova put on an excellent performance when it was needed, taking the title at Cincinnati, Ohio from Nathalie Dechy, who had high hopes of winning the tournament.

It was an easy victory for the Russian, beating the Frenchwoman in straight sets, 62 61, in just an hour and 10 minutes.

"I expected a much more difficult match today," Petrova said. "I served well and hung in the rallies well. I was very focused today. I knew I had to play very clean and not give her any chances. I think it was a very clean match from my side."

"I tried my best out there but I couldn't do it today," Dechy said. "All the credit to Nadia though. She was serving really well, volleying well and hitting all of her shots really deep, I could never play my game. I was always under pressure. And my serve wasn't very effective either, so she also did well returning.

"When the list originally came out, I was maybe 10 spots out of getting into the main draw; I only got in at the last moment. It turned out to be a really great week. The organization here was of a really high standard and I'm really happy I ended up playing here."

Mauresmo was also in high hopes of winning the tournament, not playing since the third round of Wimbledon. She made it all the way to the semifinals before falling to countrywoman Nathalie Dechy, who eventually lost in the final to Petrova.

"It was disappointing to have an up-and-down match like this after the ones I played this week," said Mauresmo after losing on Saturday. "The reason I came here was to get matches though, so that's definitely a benefit for the US Open. Nathalie was just too good in the third set; I did my best today."

The Olympic Tennis Event is over; Russians have triple success

At the Olympic Games Tennis Event, the Russians had triple success, as they gained first, second and third place in the 29th Olympiad.

Elena Dementieva worked hard to gain Gold as she won to Dinara Safina, who recieved Silver, and Vera Zvonareva battled against Li Na to get Bronze, which she did.

Two times was a charm for Dementieva, as she beat her record of gaining Silver in 2000, being runner-up to Venus Williams. It was Safina's first Olympics, and she was pretty impressive, making a run to the final before losing to her countrywoman.

"I remember playing my first Olympic Games in Sydney. I was 18 years old and nobody expected anything from me. Nobody really expected any medals from Russia at that time. We were so happy to have Yevgeny Kafelnikov winning the gold medal and me the silver. It was a really exciting surprise for Russia. But coming here to Beijing, there were lots of expectations for our team. From the beginning, I think we were planning to get two medals. But this year we were guaranteed silver and gold, and we even had a chance to get all three of them," said Gold medalist Dementieva.

Dementieva won to Safina in a three-setter, 36 75 63.

"My most difficult match of the week was today against Dinara because she's playing at her best," Dementieva said. "She's the hottest player on the Tour at the moment. It was really difficult to return her serve. After losing the first set, it was difficult to stay positive and keep doing the right things, not getting too emotional and thinking about every point. I'm so happy I got through it."

"This is for sure the biggest moment in my career, in my life; I will never forget this moment," Dementieva said. "It's hard to believe actually. I was thinking about this for a long, long time, and I was getting ready mentally and physically. I was dreaming every day about it. But when it comes to you it's still a surprise. It's very difficult to explain the way I feel right now. It'll take a few days before I realize I'm an Olympic champion."

"I'm disappointed I lost, but on the other hand, what I've done, coming from the States, winning two tournaments in a row, I didn't have one normal day off. I took the flight from Montréal to Europe, from Europe to here. From all this scheduling, matches, doubles, singles, from what I've done, I think I can be proud of myself. It's sad it's not the gold medal, but it doesn't matter because I think what I've done, not many girls can do it," said Safina, who didn't prevail agianst Dementieva.

"All the Russians were playing so well," Zvonareva said. "It's just amazing that we all were able to do so well here, to get three medals for our country. We're all very proud of it. Russian tennis is at a great level. It's at the highest level."

Dechy powers through to final along with Russian

One of the tournament's favorite players, Nathalie Dechy, will take on a Russian, Nadia Petrova, who has been playing awesomely, ousting seeds left and right, and they will play for the title on Sunday after their semifinal wins on Saturday.

Dechy has been a person to fear in the Tier III Tournament. Unseeded, she has sent three seeds - No. 4 seed Katarina Srebotnik, No. 6 seed Aleksandra Wozniak, and No. 5 seed Amelie Mauresmo - flying home, and this the Frenchwoman's first final since 2004, in New Haven.

"Even yesterday was big for me, because it had been such a long time since I won three matches in a row; so to get into the final is another great thing," Dechy said. "New Haven was a good experience. After that final I played really well for the next couple of months, so hopefully I can get that kind of confidence here."

Dechy won a thrilling battle against her countrywoman Mauresmo, 64 36 62.

"We know each other's games so well because we've been playing each other since we were very young," Dechy said on her friendly rivalry with Mauresmo. "Everything was going my way in the third set. She's maybe not at the same level as when she was No.1, but she's always a tough competitor."

"It's disappointing to have an up-and-down match like this after the ones I played this week," said Mauresmo, who was playing her first semifinal of the year. "But the reason I came here was to get matches, so that's definitely a benefit for the US Open coming up. She was just too good in the third set; I did my best today."

Petrova won to compatriot Maria Kirilenko, also in a tight three-setter, 16 62 61.

"In the beginning I felt very flat; I had no energy and really struggled in the rallies," Petrova said. "But then everything changed from the beginning of the second set. I was able to step it up a little bit and I think it threw her rhythm off."

Two French players will face eachother in semis; two Russian players will battle eachother for a final berth

Two French players and two Russian players will face eachother in the semifinals for a final berth, after all four quarterfinals were played on Friday.

Amelie Mauresmo will face compatriot Nathalie Dechy, who gained victory over No. 6 seed Aleksandra Wozniak, 76(4) 75. The Canadian was up 5-2 in the first set and held two set points at 5-3, but the French veteran didn't give up, and came back to win the set in a tiebreak.

"At the beginning of the match my timing was a little off, but everything changed late in the first set and I felt I could do anything," Dechy said. "In the end it was a few points in each set that made the difference, and I was able to pressure her just a little more on those key points."

Mauresmo won her match to Vania King, 62 64.

No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova and No. 3 seed Maria Kirilenko will square it off on Saturday, after Nadia won her match to Lilia Osterloh 62 63; and Maria won her match to Sabine Lisicki in a tight three-setter 62 16 61.

"I served really well and kept the pressure on her, although I wasn't too happy with my concentration throughout the match and my returning," Petrova said. "But luckily my wins have been quick so far this week, which will help now as the matches will get tougher and tougher."

"She started to play much better in the second set; she began hitting winners and serving much better," Kirilenko said about Lisicki. "But we had a break at the beginning of the third set and I was able to refocus. I tried to keep my emotions down and just concentrate on the third set."

Fifth seeded Mauresmo reaches quarterfinals for the first time since April

Former No. 1 and Grand Slam winner Amelie Mauresmo breezed through to the next round on Thursday, along with Aleksandra Wozniak, who also won her second round match easily.

French Mauresmo completely demolished her second round opponent, Yanina Wickmayer, in straight sets, 63 61. This is the fifth time in her career that Mauresmo has reached the quarterfinals, the latest being in Amelia Island in April.

"I was looking for some rhythm, which I found and I was able to play well," said Mauresmo after the match.

In the quarters, Mauresmo will face American Vania King, who won her second round match to wildcard Jamea Jackson, 61 64.

Wozniak is through to the quarters after beating Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko, 62 63. This is Wozniak's second win over Vakulenko, as she now leads 2-1 in head-to-head results.

"It went really well. I thought I played aggressively especially at the beginning of the first and second set," said the Canadian. "I played deep and she would step up and play her game, but she didn't return some of my balls because they were too deep."

The Canadian will next battle Nathalie Dechy, who defeated No. 4 seed Katarina Srebotnik on Wednesday in the second round.

"I've never player her before," said Wozniak about Dechy. "But I see that she played well and I look forward to a good match."

Kirilenko comes back to win; Srebotnik crushed by French Dechy

As the third day of the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open came to an end, one seed was knocked out, while the other seed survived a first set loss but eventually came back to win the match.

Nathalie Dechy found herself beat No. 4 seed Katarina Srebotnik in a tight three-setter, 75 26 76(1). The Slovenian hit 12 unforced errors in the third set, and that costed her the match.

"She started off well," said Dechy. "I couldn't do anything, but as soon as the tie-break started I tried to hang in there and keep the pressure up."

Dechy, who was one point away from beating Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon, will appear in her first quarterfinal of the year, and she will face either Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko or No. 6 seed Aleksandra Wozniak.

Maria Kirilenko, seeded first, suffered a tough first set loss, but she didn't give up, as she fought back to win the next two sets to win the match, 16 62 75.

"I knew what I had to do to win, but the ball was flying everywhere," said Kirilenko. "I made lots of mistakes in the first set and at the beginning of the second set."

Sabine Lisicki awaits Kirilenko in the quarterfinals, after winning to Camille Pin, 63 64.

No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova cruised through into the quarters, after her win to American Julie Ditty in just 57 minutes, 61 61. This is going to be the Russian's fifth semifinal of the year.

"When I began to break her she started to lose her confidence. I tried to work on my own game and I didn't want to give her a second break," said Petrova on her quick victory over the American.

"She was serving well and I had to adjust; she really wanted to dominate me and whenever she had me moving it was difficult."

Petrova will battle Lilia Osterloh, after the American gained victory over Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic, 64 61.

Russian, Canadian get through, along with top seed

On Day 2 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Nadia Petrova and Aleksandra Wozniak both cruised through to the second round, while Marion Bartoli was forced to retire in her opening match. No. 1 seed Amelie Mauresmo was also one of the players who won their opening matches.

No. 2 seed Nadia Petrova breezed through to the next round after her win to countrywoman Galina Voskoboeva, 63 60. This is Petrova's 22nd match win this year.

Top seed Amelie Mauresmo faced Stephanie Cohen-Aloro in a match which lasted 2 hours and 37 minutes, and eventually it was the Frenchwoman who prevailed, winning 67(5) 76(6) 61.

"She served well and took her chances," Mauresmo said. "She gave me a lot of trouble. When nothing is working like you want it to and the other player is playing well, you have to just hang in there."

Mauresmo will next face No. 65 ranked Yanina Wickmayer, who beat Russian Vasilisa Bardina, 75 36 63.

Aleksandra Wozniak, the champion in Stanford recently, beat Japanese Aiko Nakamura, 63 62, in just 1 minute under an hour.

"It went pretty quick," the 20-year-old Canadian said. "I knew she played fast, and I had to play smart and not let her come back."

The Canadian will next face Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko, who beat Monica Niculescu, 62 26 64.

Seeds go 2-2 on Monday in Cincinnati

It was a day full of surprises for the seeds in Cincinnati, Ohio. Two seeds lost and two seeds won their opening round matches. No. 3 seed Maria Kirilenko and No. 4 seed Katarina Srebotnik cruised into the second round after easy wins in the first round, while No. 7 seed Ekaterina Makarova was beaten in her debut match, and No. 8 seed Tamira Paszek was forced to retire due to illness.

Slovenian Srebotnik was the first seed to win, putting on an excellent performance against American Amanda Fink, 63 63. The 2006 runner-up hit six aces past the American in the match that lasted 1 hour and 23 minutes.

Srebotnik will face Nathalie Dechy in the second round, who beat countrywoman Olivia Sanchez in straight sets, 62 62.

Kirilenko was the second and last seed to come through to the next round, beating Hsieh Su-Wei from Chinese Taipei, 62 75. The last time the Russian played in Cincinnati was four years ago, being beaten by Marion Bartoli in the first round.

Kirilenko will next face Stehanie Dubois, who won her previous match to another Russian, Evgeniya Rodina, 62 76(3).

The No. 7 and 8 seeds vothe had a bad day, losing their first round matches. No. 7 seed Makarova was easily defeated by Camille Pin of France, 60 62; and No. 8 seed Paszek was forced to retire due to illness against Petra Cetkovska, after leading 46 63 41. Cetkvoska will next face Lilia Osterloh, who beat British Anne Keothavong, 76(3) 46 64.

American Julie Ditty also advanced after beating qualifier Yuan Meng of China, 26 61 64. In the second round she faces either one of two Russians - Galina Voskoboeva or No.2 seed Nadia Petrova.

Olympics get delayed by rain

As the day was packed with matches, four of all matches were uncompleted due to a rain delay at the Olympic Tennis Event.

Francesca Schiavone and Samantha Stosur, who are competing in their second Olympics, both won their matches in straight sets. Schiavone, of Italy, easily defeated Akgul Amanmuradova from Uzbekistan, 64 62; and Stosur also easily defeated her opponent, Sara Errani, 63 62.

Schiavone will next face either Chan Yung-Jan or No. 8 seed Agnieszka Radwanska; and Stosur will next face either Olga Govortsova or No. 4 seed Serena Williams.

Dane Caroline Wozniacki also won her first round match, to Tunusia's Selima Sfar, 64 61. Last week, Wozniacki was the first woman from Denmark to win a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles title in Stockholm, Sweden.

Wozniacki could have a tough opponent in the next round, as she will face either Ai Sugiyama or No. 10 seed Daniela Hantuchova.

The rest of the first round matches will be played on Monday, as well as the matches that were delayed by rain.

Olympic draws are out; top players have tough opponents

As the draw of the Olympic Tennis Event came out of Thursday, the opening matches of the top players will be tough, as they will face the some of the best players on tour.

In the Top 3 seeds, Svetlana Kuznetsova will have a pretty tough opponent, Chinese Li Na, who has had some tough times in the past 12 months due to injuries. Li Na will be a real challenge for the Russian, as she has already had a win over Kuznetsova before.

No. 1 and No. 2 seeds Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will face Mariya Koryttseva and Cara Black. Koryttseva has had a very good season, being in two finals already, and she has made her way from the Top 100 al the way to just inside the Top 50.

The Williams sisters will also be playing on the first day of the tennis opening, No. 4 seed Serena facing Olga Govortsova, and No. 7 seed Venus facing Timea Bacsinszky. Russian Elena Dementieva will face Kateryna Bondarenko, and another Russian, Dinara Safina, will face Mara Santangelo. Polish Agnieszka Radwanska will be playing Chan Yung-Jan.

If these seedings hold, the quarterfinals will pit Ivanovic against Radwanska, Jankovic against Safina, Kuznetsova against Venus Williams and Serena Williams against Dementieva. If the seeds hold there, semifinal match-ups are Ivanovic against Serena Williams and Jankovic against Kuznetsova. Davenport is in the Jankovic-Safina quarter of the draw (potentially playing Safina second round).

Olympics will kick off on Friday

The Olympics will have some new rising stars competing and going for gold. The XXIX Olympics will be held in Beijing, China.

8 of the Top 9 players will be headed to the Chinese capital, where they will be challenging eachother for the gold medal. Maria Sharapova, who is dealing with injuries from last week's tournament, will miss the Olympics, the event that she has been waiting to compete in for a long time, and the US Open.

The top players competing are Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina, Venus Williams, and Agnieszka Radwanska.

Ivanovic, Safina and Radwanska are all playing their first Olympic Games.

This is the 13th time that tennis has been officially included in the Olympics.

Listed below are all of the singles gold medalists from 1988 to present:

1988
Medalists
Gold: Steffi Graf (FRG)
Silver: Gabriela Sabatini (ARG)
Bronze: Zina Garrison-Jackson (USA), Manuela Maleeva (BUL)

1992
Medalists
Gold: Jennifer Capriati (USA)
Silver: Steffi Graf (GER)
Bronze: Mary Joe Fernandez (USA), Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario (ESP)

1996
Medalists
Gold: Lindsay Davenport (USA)
Silver: Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario (ESP)
Bronze: Jana Novotna (CZE)

2000
Medalists
Gold: Venus Williams (USA)
Silver: Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Bronze: Monica Seles (USA)

2004
Medalists
Gold: Justine Henin (BEL)
Silver: Amélie Mauresmo (FRA)
Bronze: Alicia Molik (AUS)

Safina wins third career title to Slovakian Cibulkova

Playing only her fifth final in her career, Dinara Safina completely demolished her opponent in Sunday's final. Safina was just too much to handle for Dominika Cibulkova, as the Russian easily finished Cibulkova off with a 62 61 victory.

Safina had her first two matches made easy, but the next two matches were much tougher. She faced countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals, and suffered being 62 20 down, but came back to win, 26 63 62. In the semis, the Dinara faced Victoria Azarenka, and she came back from a second set loss to win 60 26 63.

"I think my experience helped me a bit in the final; I'm sure Dominika's time will come soon though," an elated Safina said. "It's the first time in my life I've won back-to-back tournaments; I used to win a tournament then lose first round the next week. But now I'm always just taking it one match at a time. It's a new experience for me and really just amazing. I'm so happy to win today."

"I was nervous in my first big final," Cibulkova said. "I'm kind of upset with how I played in the final. I wanted to have a good match against Dinara. But I think she played really well. I hope in my next final I will play better."

Safina's semifinal victim in Montréal, Azarenka, commented on the Russian's form of late: "As you can see, since the clay court season, she's playing amazingly. I think she's playing like the No.1 player in the world."

"No.1 is still so far away; this is all coming so fast," said Safina, who has now won 27 of her last 30 matches, including the last 10 straight. "I have to take a step back and realize what I've done the last few weeks. I want to take everything one step at a time. Only God knows what will happen in the weeks coming up."

"Dinara is playing really well," Cibulkova said. "She's a hard worker. I really think she can make it."

"This was a great experience," Cibulkova added. "I beat great players. Every round, I beat a better player than me. I played really well in this tournament. Hopefully in my next final I will be more relaxed and not be scared about it."

Dane wins first title of her career in Stockholm

One of the best young stars on the Tour won her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title on Sunday at the Nordea Nordic Light Open in Stockholm, Sweden.

Caroline Wozniacki came in the tournament ranked 26th and seeded 4th, and on the way to the championship, she beat No. 1 seed Agnieszka Radwanksa in the semifinals. In the final, she played Vera Dushevina, and won the match easily, 60 62.

"I'm very happy I've won my first title!" Wozniacki said. "It's always tough to play two matches on the same day, but Vera had to do it as well. At the start I had her under pressure and I think that frustrated her. She played better in the second set and began putting pressure on me instead. She had break points at 2-all there and I think getting out of that was the key to the match."

On Monday, the Dane will hit the Top 20 in rankings.

"In the beginning of the year my goal was to be in the Top 50," said the Dane, who turned 18 years old in July. "I've kept on moving it up since."
Since she won the title, Wozniacki is the first Dane to win a Tour singles title. But she isn't the only Dane to win a title of any kind; Tine Scheuer-Larsen won seven doubles titles in the 1980's and 1990's, partnering Jana Novotna and Mercedes Paz.

French Bartoli ousted in semis; Safina in final with Cibulkova

Dominika Cibulkova continued her dream run, and is entering only her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final, finishing runner-up in Amelia Island to Maria Sharapova in a tight two-setter this year.

Cibulkova faced Marion Bartoli for a spot in the final. It was a tough match, but in the end, it was Cibulkova who prevailed in a thrilling three-setter, 46 64 63.

"In the first set I was quite satisfied with my tournament; I just had yesterday's match on my mind and wasn't really focused on this match," Cibulkova said. "The rain delay after I lost the first set really helped me. I went to the locker room and talked to my coach. It wasn't easy to talk to him because he was really mad. I realized if I just played my game, I had a chance to win this match. Then in the second set I played like I should. In the third it was a very high level of tennis."

"Winning my first title is still very far. It's still one match," Cibulkova added. "I'm so excited about this, about my game, that I'm in the final of a Tier I for the first time. I will try to play my best tomorrow. And for sure I will be not satisfied with my week so far, like I was today in the beginning."

The other semifinal match featured No. 7 seed Dinara Safina and No. 11 seed Victoria Azarenka. It was one of the toughest matches Safina has played, but she eventually closed out the match with a 60 26 63 victory over the Belorussian.

"I knew it would be tougher in the second set because, she would try to play better after losing the first set," Safina said. "Me, I slowed down and let her get back into the match. I think I complicated it even more for myself. But I still turned the match around in the third set, and I'm really happy with that."

"As you can see, since the clay court season, she's playing amazing," Azarenka said. "I think she's playing like the No.1 player in the world."

Safina and Cubulkova will be playing eachother for the first time. It should be a tough match, since both players worked hard to get three set victories.

"She's a very tough opponent - she proved that this week," Safina said. "She has beaten some very good players. It's another match for me. I just want to focus on myself, playing my game and being aggressive, and let's see who's gonna be stronger tomorrow. She has her advantages and I have mine; it's going to come down to who uses them better tomorrow."

Jankovic's No. 1 dreams crushed; Kuznetsova ousted in quarters

With Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova ousted in earlier rounds, the drop out of Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova completed a Top 4 shut-out in the Canadian tournament.

Jankovic, seeded second, was first to take the courts, against Dominika Cibulkova, and she eventually lost in straight sets, 75 62, despite leading 5-1 in the first set. At the end of match, the Serb had twice more unforced errors than winners, (32-15).

"Until 5-1 I was doing quite well; I was feeling good and hitting the ball well," Jankovic said. "All of a sudden I got exhausted, completely lost my concentration. It was hard for me the rest of the match to keep up, because the points were quite long. The longer they went, I felt worse and worse. I just couldn't do it."

"I didn't start very well; I was quite nervous and was making a lot of mistakes," Cibulkova said. "But I knew if I started playing my game and started stepping into the court and moving her more, I could come back. So I was just believing in myself and playing point by point. She gave me some chances and I took them."

Jankovic's chances of being No. 1 were also crushed, as she was supposed to reach the final to claim the No. 1 spot.

"I don't really think about No.1. If it's going to happen, it will happen. But at the moment I don't deserve that spot. I'm not in the best shape and I'm not at my highest level. It will take time for me to get better and better."

Kuznetsova, seeded fourth, was also ousted, by Dinara Safina, who No. 7 seeded, 26 63 62. Safina improved her head-to-head result against her countrywoman, now 5-4.

"I think in the first set she was just playing very good tennis; I haven't spoken with my coaches to see if they think I was doing something wrong," Safina said. "But then she gave some free points that helped me come back. After that, the match started to be close. I would say today, the luck was on my side."

Also through to the semifinals are No. 10 seed Marion Bartoli and No. 11 seed Victoria Azarenka.

Bartoli won her match to Ai Sugiyama, 62 63, despite being down 3-1 in the second set, and Azarenka won her match to Tamira Paszek, who took out top seed Ana Ivanovic, 64 75, despite being down 5-2 in the first set.

Safina, the highest seed left, will face Azarenka; Bartoli will take on Cibulkova. Both semifinals are scheduled for Saturday.

Wozniacki, Radwanska advance to semifinal; Pin out due to illness

On Thursday, two seeds on the bottom half of the draw, Caroline Wozniacki and Anabel Medina Garrigues, played to reserve a spot in the semifinals of the Nordea Nordic Light Open. On the top half, last year's finalist Vera Dushevina demolished her opponent in the quarters, and Katarina Srebotnik also came back from an early loss in her home country to reach the semis of the Swedish tournament.

The first to take the courts were the seeds. Wozniacki gained victory after an easy win to the Spaniard, 61 63. Wozniacki, seeded 4th, will next face No. 1 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who won her quarterfinal match to Camille Pin, due to the retirement of Pin.

Radwanska was leading 62 10 when Pin retired due to gastrointestinal illness, and she let the Pole enter the semifinals. Having beaten Wozniacki in last year Nordea Nordic Light Open, Radwanska will be looking for revenge as she will play the Pole for a final berth.

Dushevina was the last to take the courts, against Iveta Benesova, and she beat the Czech to move into the final four, 63 63. The Russian will next face No. 3 seed Katarina Srebotnik, who won her previous match to Virginia Ruano Pascual, 62 60.

Ivanovic loses shamefully; Jankovic has another chance to become No. 1

On Thursday, all of the third round match winners played for a semifinal berth. There were some shock defeats, including No. 6 seed Chakvetdze being ousted, and also the world No. 1 was sent packing.

The first match to take the courts included Svetlana Kuznetsova and 15-year-old rising star Michelle Larcher de Brito. Kuznetsova was struggling throughout the match, winning a tight first set, losing the second, but eventually coming back from nearly 2-0 down to win the match, 75 26 64.

"I went to watch her yesterday; I expected her to be good," Kuznetsova said. "This is my first tournament since Wimbledon, so it's hard to get the rhythm back. I was fighting a lot in this match, and that's why I won. But I give her all credit."

"I got a little bit tight sometimes, but I think I did pretty well throughout the whole match," said Larcher de Brito, who already has two Top 20 wins to her name and was looking for her first Top 10 win. "She's a Grand slam champion. She's a really great player. She was running me side to side and it was really tough. But it was a fun match; it was a good fight and I enjoyed myself."

On the same court in the night session, Tamira Paszek and World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic took the court. Ivanovic was entering the match with a thumb injury, which she said was holding her back throughout the match. Austrian Paszek surprised the crowd with an easy first set win, but Ivanovic took full control in the second, and eventually at the end of the match, the Austrian was in complete happiness after her win to the No. 1.

"The first thing I was thinking was, 'Well girl, you made it. It's over now,'" Paszek said. "The second thing was that it was the first Top 10 player I've beaten. I've had a lot of chances before and played some great matches but never did that. It was also the first night match I won in my career. So there were a lot of first times today. I don't know how, but I managed it."

"It was very frustrating because I didn't know how it was going to pull up; I was in pain through the whole match," said Ivanovic, who was struggling with a hurt right thumb coming into the match. "The pain wasn't so sharp but I couldn't hold my racquet on my forehand. I tried to fight as much as I could. I really wanted to win this match. But obviously she's a very good player. She figured it out."

Another match which took the courts was between Anna Chakvetadze and Marion Bartoli. Bartoli is now 3-1 in head-to-head results after winning to Chakvetadze 46 75 76(4), previously beating her in Luxembourg and Stanford two weeks ago.

In other matches, No.2 seed Jelena Jankovic ended the run of Canadian wildcard Stéphanie Dubois with a 63 62 win; No.7 seed Dinara Safina continued her strong summer with a 62 62 win over No.9 seed Patty Schnyder; Dominika Cibulkova beat No.12 seed Nadia Petrova, 76(2) 62; and No.11 seed Victoria Azarenka won inwhen Virginie Razzano retired down 76(4) 20 due to a thigh injury.

Jankovic previously won to Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak in the second round, and has won to another Canadian, Stephanie Dubois, in two consecutive days, and she has another chance to become No. 1, after Ivanovic has dropped out of the tournament.

"I took out two Canadians - maybe the people here will start to hate me now," Jankovic joked. "In those two matches the crowd was obviously against me. It's not easy to be in this kind of atmosphere, but I tried my best. I really wanted to focus on myself and my game, on what I have to do in order to win. I'm pleased with how I handled it. I'm happy to have gotten through this match."