Local favorite stunned; top seed, third seed, sixth seed advance

Three seeds advanced on Day 2 at Tashkent, while two seeds including local favorite No. 7 seed Akgul Amanmuradova fell in disappointing straight sets.

No. 2 seed Olga Govortsova was the other disappointed seed, as she fell in three sets to Ksenia Palkina of Kyrgyzstan, 76(5) 46 75.

"I'm really stunned with my win, I went to the court to win and I believed in myself," said Palkina, who is currently ranked No.203.

"At 1-3 in the third set I felt that I would lose, but the crowds cheered for me and I knew I had to win and it all changed from that moment. It's my first upset on the WTA Tour and at my favorite event too," she added.

Amanmuradova lost shamefully among her home crowd, to Urzsula Radwanska, last year's junior Wimbledon champion, 76(5) 63.

"I'm frank in telling you that I could not handle the pressure of my country people, I had my chances at 3-1 in the tie-break, but could not take it," the 24-year-old Amanmuradova said. "I'm angry at myself; at this level it is a crime to lose such an advantage."

"It's always difficult to play a star in their country, but I've watched Akgul playing Agnieszka in Rome earlier, and I'd made a plan to play her," Radwanska said. The Polish teen said breaking Amanmuradova's difficult serve in the very first game made it easier for her to handle it for the rest of the match.

Top seed Shuai Peng defeated Arina Rodionova, No. 3 seed Sorana Cirstea defeated Ekaterina Dzehalevich, 76(4) 75, and No. 6 seed Monica Niculescu advanced after winning the first set and having Olga Savchuk retire early in the second set, 75 01.

No. 3 seed Zheng, 38-year-old falls; No. 1 seed survives three-setter

It was a tough mixed day for the players in action on Day 2, as two youngsters advanced, while a 38-year-old fell in straight sets to No. 6 Shahar Peer.

Kimiko Date Krumm, the 38-year-old, awarded a wildcard here and champion her four times in the 1990's, failed to reach the second round at the AIG Japan Open, as she was ousted by No. 6 Shahar Peer, 63 61.

"It's not easy to fill the blank of 11 years and a half," the world No.228 admitted afterwards. “Today's loss left me with a mixed feeling. I was disappointed, but it's not so bad considering that it's impossible to do in only five months.

"I've been playing in order to improve the quality of my tennis," she added. "I felt much better than I did in the Pan Pacific. I couldn't play 100 percent two weeks ago. I'm going to take it positively."

The tournament first upset included No. 3 Jie Zheng being ousted by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets, 61 62.

No. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki avoided the same fate as Zheng, as she came back from a set down to win to Gisela Dulko, 46 60 63; No. 7 seed and No. 8 seed Tamarine Tanasugarn and Aleksandra Wozniak also won their matches to qualifier Stephanie Dubois and 2002 champion Jill Craybas, 61 63 and 75 67(2) 63.

Two seeds in action advance on Day 2

As Day 2 of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, two seeds were in action, and debuted with victory, both in straight sets.

The first seed to advance was No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska, who won her first round match to Sandra Zahlavova, 63 62. The Pole broke serve four times and saved 7 of 8 break points on the way to victory.

No. 6 seed Venus Williams was the second and last seed to reserve a spot in the second round, after her easy victory against wildcard Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 61 62. It was a similar result to the match they had three years ago, with the American winning, 62 62.

In matches between unseeded players, Marion Bartoli beat Dominika Cibulkova easily, 63 61; Victoria Azarenka edged Agnes Szavay, 75 63; Nadia Petrova crushed qualifier Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, 62 62; and qualifiers Kateryna Bondarenko and Tsvetana Pironkova also made it through with wins over Top 20 players Flavia Pennetta of Italy and Alizé Cornet of France, respectively.

Rus advances to main draw; seeds win on Day 1 in Tashkent

Two seeded youngsters were among the winners on Day 1 at the Tashkent Open, along with junior No. 1 Aranxta Rus, who advanced to the main draw after winning her last qualifting match in straight sets.

17-year-old Rus has had an impressive month, as she reached the quartefinals in Guangzhou, and reached the main draw at Seoul, but today's match for her was too simple as she demolished home player Sariya Khayrova, 60 60.

"I hope to play my best tennis and win some good matches here," said Rus, after her easy win.

Another young star, No. 4 seed Sabine Lisicki, had an easy win, as she dropped just one game in her match with Dilyara Saidkhodjaeva, 60 61.

No. 5 seed Magdalena Rybarikova won her match in hard straight sets to Kathrin Woerle, 64 64.

In the only other main draw match of the day, Sofia Shapatava of Georgia beat France's Kinnie Laisne in three sets, while other qualifiers to win through were Russian Nina Bratchikova, Ksenia Palkina of Kyrgyzstan and Alexandra Panova of Russia, who will be playing her first Tour main draw. Bratchikova and Panova both defeated local players – Shahzodahon Hatamova and Nigina Abduraimova respectively. But due to the injury withdrawals of Roberta Vinci and Maret Ani, Abduraimova was subsequently made a lucky loser, along with Arina Rodionova, who had been beaten by Palkina.

No. 5 seed Kanepi advances; New Zealander Erakovic fails to win (again) on Day 1 in Tokyo

On the first day of the AIG Japan Open, rain messed up the schedule for the main draw, but there was time to complete four qualifying matches, and three main draw matches.

American Vania King was the first to win her qualifying match, to Yurika Sema, 63 62; Stephanie Dubois advanced to the main draw after her win to Jarmila Gajdosova, 76(3) 36 76(2); in an all-Japanese match, Rika Fujiwara dismissed Kurumi Nara in straight sets, 63 62; and Ryodo Fuda was lucky to get to the main draw after her opponent Tiantian Sun retired after winning the first set.

In the main draw action No. 5 Kaia Kanepi had a tough time against Lucie Safarova, 46 63 64; Marta Domachowska won her match to Aiko Nakamura, 64 75; and New Zealander Marina Erakovic failed to win (again), to Ayumi Morita, 61 64.

Na, Bondarenko, Bammer win on Day 1 in Stuttgart

As the first round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, all three matches were completed and the winners reserved a spot in the second round.

The first to advance was Li Na, who won her debut match in style to Nicole Vaidisova, 61 62, in just 58 minutes.

The other two players to advance were Alona Bondarenko and Sybille Bammer, as the Ukrainian prevailed against Eleni Daniilidou in straight but tough sets, 76(5) 61. The Austrian Bammer was down 5-3 in the third set against TTatjana Malek, but fought back to win 46 62 75.

Jankovic gathers up energy to win in Beijing

The finals at the China Open in Beijing are over, and it was Jelena Jankovic who prevailed in easy straight sets.

Kuznetsova obviously had a better chnace of winning, since she had a good lead in the head-to-head results, but it didn't turn out that way, as Jankovic ousted the No. 4 seed to win the title with a 63 62 victory.

"Svetlana beat me two times this year," said Jankovic, who lost to the Russian in the semifinals of Dubai and last week in Tokyo. "I was really motivated to get a win against her, and winning in two sets is very satisfying. Having played her last week I was really able to analyze my game against hers, and it worked."

"I'm disappointed. I wasn't moving to the ball or doing the right things on the court; I love playing here, so it was disappointing to not play well in the final," Kuznetsova said. "But she played well today. She was consistent as always. I think we both played better in Tokyo, but she played better than me today."

Jankovic also made the final last year, and had a better chance of winning than her opponent Agnes Szavay, but despite being up a set and 5-2 in the second set, she fell to the Hungarian, 67(7) 75 62.

"I didn't think about last year today," Jankovic said. "This year is different. I'm a different player and this was a different atmosphere. I was thinking positively.

"I'm happy to win the title of course. I'm close to gaining the No.1 spot again, but I'm just trying to focus on playing one match at a time and working on my game. I would love to come back to No.1 and end the year at No.1."

Kirilenko prevails in Korea final, gains third title of season

In Seoul in 2007, Maria Kirilenko was beaten in three sets in the final, but the next year, it was her time to shine, as she has won the 2008 Hansol Korea Open.

Kirilenko rallied past Samantha Stosur in Sunday's final to win in three tough sets, 26 61 64.

"I was very happy to make it to the final a second time," said Kirilenko, who lost to Venus Williams in a thrilling 2007 final, 63 16 64. "My match against Kanepi was very difficult. I was down 2-0 in the third set and every game was really difficult. I was really challenging. I was relieved to win and move into the final."

"She started so fast and served so well, and for me it was difficult to return her serve," Kirilenko said. "In the second set I started to be more concentrated, because in the first set I was out of the game. I decided to play every ball, no matter what happened, and I just started to fight. It worked, and I'm very happy. The last two matches were really tough for me, so I'm feeling great right now."

"The momentum switched around; I got passive with the way I was playing and she stepped it up and became more aggressive," Stosur said. "It continued through 4-0 in the third. I knew I had to stop it. I started stepping up and going for it more, being more aggressive and taking some time away from her. And I got myself back in the match, but she played well at the end to finish it."

"In Tokyo I lost to Bartoli and at the US Open I lost to Paszek - those were both really tough first round matches," Kirilenko said. "This year I have had some ups and downs. I'm really trying to be more consistent in my results. If I was more consistent I think I would be ranked higher, maybe Top 10 or Top 15. But I have time to improve. I'm only 21 and I'll get more experience in the time to come."

Svetlana and Jelena create final berth

Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova were ruling the courts on Saturday's semifinal, as the Serb advanced in three sets, and the Russian had a tough two set win.

Jankovic, top seeded in Beijing, was battling until the end against Vera Zvonareva, and prevailed in a thrilling three-setter, 64 26 64. Despite the Russian winning their three previous encounters out of six, that didn't stop Jelena from playing her best game.

"In the first set I was dominating; in the second set I let my opponent back in," Jankovic said. "I was able to regroup in the third and got back to my tactics. It was a very long, difficult match. I'm tired but happy to be in the final."

No. 4 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova had a tough time dealing with home crowd favorite Jie Zheng, but still got her strength together to win, 76(3) 75. The Russian wn the first set tiebreaker in 59 minutes, and had to come back from 3-1 down in the second set to win the match.

"It was very tough out there. My game wasn't going that well and the crowd was obviously cheering for her, but I kept my focus and didn't get down," Kuznetsova said. "She was pumped up in front of her home crowd. She has improved a lot. Her groundstrokes are better and she's moving better."

"My power and serve were not as good as my opponent's," Zheng said. "I didn't take my opportunities, especially in the second set. But I've really gained a lot of confidence this week, because I know I can play against the stronger players. In the past, I had a hard time with them."

Kuznetsova and Jankovic have met six times before, with the Russian leading the head-to-head results 4-2. The two have played together twice this year with Svetlana winning both matches.

Top seeded Russian, Australian will battle it out in final

The finals at the Hansol Korea Open were set after top seed Maria Kirilenko and Samantha Stosur advanced in ther semifinal matches, Kirilenko advancing in three sets, and Stosur advancing easily in two sets.

The Australian handled her opponent Jill Craybas with ease and dropped just 1 game in the victory of 60 61.

The second semifinal included Kaia Kanepi and Maria Kirilenko, which went to three sets. The couple have met twice before, and their last battle was in the hands of the Russian, and so it was this time with the No. 1 seed prevailing 64 36 64.

The Russian and the Australian have played three times before with Stosur leading 2-1 in head-to-head results.

Ivanovic ousted in three sets; Jankovic moves on to semis

Jie Zheng continued to please her home crowd as she won to No. 2 seed Ana Ivanovic in three thrilling sets, while two Russian top 10 players made it through to the semis in straight sets.

Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva both advanced; No. 4 seed Sveta won to Dominika Cibulkova, 62 64; and Vera won to Anabel Medina Garrigues, 61 60.

Chinese Zheng surprised Ana Ivanovic in a 2 hour and 54 minute match, 76(4) 26 64.

"I was defending a lot. It was like running a marathon out there," Ivanovic said. "She was really aggressive and was dominating a lot. I didn't even realize how much I was running out there. I should have been more aggressive."

"This is a good win for me - it was in China in front of my home crowd and there were lots of fans supporting me, which gave me even more motivation," Zheng said. "It was a tough match that lasted almost three hours. We both played well. I'm excited to be in the semifinals for the first time at the China Open. It is very important to me because I think my ranking will be at its highest."

Jelena Jankovic was the last player to advance to the semis, as she ousted Daniela Hantuchova, despite facing two set points in the first set, 75 61.

"In the first set Daniela gave me trouble, and I had a tough time getting into the match," Jankovic said, "but in the second set I got my rhythm and was able to close it out. I'm happy to be in the semifinals."

Top seed on fire; Peer falls in quarters

No. 2 seed Shahar Peer was on fire all week, until Friday, as she lost in straight sets to American Jill Craybas, while top seed Maria Kirilenko advanced in straight sets.

Kirilenko won her quarterfinal to No. 5 seed Pauline Parmentier easily, 63 62.

“Every point, I had to fight and win, I couldn’t just hope for her to make mistakes," said Kirilenko afterwards, adding that two weeks of hard physical training after the US Open had given her extra stamina and confidence to see matches through.

"Today, all my shots worked," the Russian said. "I tried to mix the serve, and it worked. I think I had a lot of winners. I'm just happy with the way I played."

“I think it’s going to be a difficult match for sure tomorrow," Kirilenko said about playing her semifinal oppenent, Kaia Kanepi. "It's going to be long points, and she's a girl who is hitting the ball hard. I'm just going to make a plan for the match and do my best."

"I have beaten Parmentier and I haven’t beaten Kirilenko, so I’d better play Kirilenko and beat her," the Estonian smiled.

The match between Peer and Craybas, ended with a 62 75 victory in Craybas's hands, and now there are no seeds left in the bottom half of the draw. Craybas will next face Samantha Stosur who ousted Ekaterina Makarova, 63 64.

"I've never played her before, so it should be a fun match," Craybas said of Stosur. "I think I need to take her serve a little bit early to give her less time for the next ball, and so it doesn’t kick up too high on me, because it tends to get pretty high. I'll stick to the same game plan I had today, which was to be aggressive and just go for my shots."

Ivanovic finally makes nice start to week; Chakvetadze ousted

Ana Ivanovic finally made a good start to her week, and she hopes she can keep it that way, for she will battle even higher ranked players later on in Beijing.

The Serb, seeded 2nd, won her first match to Alize Cornet in tough, but straight sets, 61 76(1). Ivanovic suffered early loses after her French Open win, and also had a thumb injury which held her back, but she seems to be back on track after the win.

No. 4 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova breezed past compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva in straight sets, 62 63; No. 5 seed Vera Zvonareva had a tough time against Francesca Schiavone, but won 76(5) 62; while Anna Chakvetadze continued her disappointing season with a loss against Dominika Cibulkova, 63 62.

Top seed Kirilenko has high hopes of winning

The quarterfinals for the Hansol Korea Open are set, as four seeds head into the round of eight for a semifinal berth.

Top seed Maria Kirilenko was showing signs of aggressiveness on Thursday, as she won to Czech Lucie Safarova in straight sets, 63 63.

Kirilenko's opponent will be No. 5 seed Pauline Parmentier, who won her second round match to Stephanie Dubois, 63 63, before the rain took place. No. 3 seed Kaia Kanepi won to Anastasia Pivovarova, 61 61, and Yung-Jan Chan failed to pass Yanina Wickmayer, and lost 63 76(2).

On Friday, the bottom half will take play, as No. 2 seed Shahar Peer will battle Jill Craybas, and Ekaterina Makarova will battle Samantha Stosur for a semifinal berth.

Hantuchova continues run; top seed through in straight sets

As rain came to Bejing for the first time of the week, only three matches, and all of them included seeds playing, were completed. Only two seeds advanced, one of them being Daniela Hantuchova.

Agnieszka Radwanska started playing Jie Zheng on Tuesday, but after the Chinese player won the first three games, that's when the rain stepped in. The couple finished the match on Wednesday, with Zheng being the winner, 62 63.

The first second round match feature Daniela Hantuchova and Tamarine Tanasugarn, which Hantuchova won in three sets, 61 06 75.

The other second round match included top seed Jelena Jankovic and qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak. Jankovic had a 63 52 lead, and that's when it all started. The Canadian won three straight games, and even held a point for a fourth straight game to make it 6-5 in her favor. But the Serb fought back to close it out, 63 75.

Peer through to first quarters since May

All four singles matches were completed before the rain came on Day 3, and Shahar Peer, the only seed who played on Wednesday and the last seed remaining in the bottom half, advanced in straight sets.

Peer, seeded second, had a tough but good victory against Ayumi Morita, 64 75. Peer has reached her first quarterfinal since Prague in May, and has an advantage since there are no more seeds left in the bottom half of the draw.

Peer's opponent will be Jill Craybas, who also had a tough straight sets victory against Akgul Amanmuradova, 76(1) 62.

Chavetadze wins opener; defending champion wins in straight sets

There were some strong performances during Day 2 of the China Open in Beijing, as No. 8 seed Anna Chakvetadze won her opener, and Alize Cornet battled to advance.

Chakvetadze, who has being jumping in and out of the Top 10 recently, won her debut match against Czech Iveta Benesova, 64 75. Benesova rallied from 4-0 down in the second set, which made Chakvetadze fight back.

Alize Cornet, who is unseeded in China, battled against qualifier Zhang Shuai, and eventually won in three sets, 61 36 76(7).

Other dramatic victories were Aleksandra Wozniak's 67(3) 75 64 win over Virginie Razzano, during which she rallied from a set and 2-0 down; Alla Kudryavtseva beating Peng Shuai 75 64, coming back from a break down in both sets; Francesca Schiavone rallying from 5-3 down in the second set to beat China's Li Na, 61 76(4); and Tamarine Tanasugarn's 64 75 win over Katarina Srebotnik, in which she was down 5-1 in the second set - and set point at 5-3 down.

Agnes Szavay, champion here in 2007, won her opening match in straight sets to Yaroslava Shvedova, 64 63.

Top seed Kirilenko breezes through; New Zealander ousted on Day 2

The seeds had a mixed day on Day 2 of the Hansol Korea Open, as top seed Maria Kirilenko breezed through but No. 7 Marina Erakovic fell in her debut match.

Kirilenko had a great start to her week, beating Lenka Wienerova, 62 60. But Estonian No. 3 seed Kaia Kanepi was pushed to the limits, unlike the Russian, by Rika Fujiwara, but eventually won, 62 67(5) 60.

The other seeds who played for a second round berth were No. 8 seed Chan Yung-Jan, who won to Mara Santangelo, 16 63 64; No. 4 seed Carla Suarez Navarro, who won to Klara Zakopalova, 61 67(3) 64; and Marina Erakovic, who failed to pass her test against Samantha Stosur, and lost 62 60.

In action between unseeded players, Ekaterina Makarova of Russia made surprisingly light work of Bali runner-up Tamira Paszek 61 62; US veteran Jill Craybas had an even easier time, dishing out a double bagel to Chinese lucky loser Yuan Meng; and Forest Hills champion Lucie Safarova was already in the driver's seat when her opponent, British lucky loser Melanie South, retired due to a left thigh strain with the scoreline at 61 30 for the Czech.

Peer, Parmentier advance; Domachowska ousted on Day 1 in Seoul

As Day 1 of the Hansol Korea Open kicked off, there were some ups and downs for the seeds competing on Monday, but Shahar Peer and Pauline Parmentier advanced to the second round.

Peer, the 2nd seed in Seoul, had a nice start to the week, after winning her first match to Petra Cetkovska, 63 64. Despite Peer losing four serves, she still gained seven breaks on the way to victory.

Parmentier, seeded 5th, won her opening match in just 50 minutes to wildcard Han Sung-Hee.

No. 6 Marta Domachowska had a bad opening day, after losing to Akgul Amanmuradova in a 2 hour and 40 minute match, which consisted of 25 double faults from Marta, 67(1) 63 63.

Hantuchova advances; Wozniacki ousted

Some seeds were in, and some seeds were out on the first day of the China Open, with Daniela Hantuchova advancing, and Caroline Wozniacki falling.

Hantuchova, seeded 7th, had an easy opening match, as she got past Gisela Dulko of Argentina in straight sets, 63 61.

Wozniacki, seeded 9th, didn't have the same success as Hantuchova, and fell to Anabel Medina Garrigues in straight sets, 76(3) 64.

Amelie Mauresmo, unseeded, also fell in her debut match, to Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova in a tough three-setter, 36 64 63.

Zvonareva wins second title of season

Vera Zvonareva was the favorite from the start of the tournament, and despite having some tough matches throughout the tournament, she succeeded, taking the winning trophy home.

Zvonareva, won her match to Shuai Peng, coming from a set down, in straight sets, 67(4) 60 62.

"I wasn't going for my shots enough in the first set; I think I was playing a bit too passively," Zvonareva said. "She's a very good player and fights well, and she took advantage. But I had more experience behind my back and was able to turn the match around by going for my shots again. We had a tough match in our first time playing each other - if she keeps playing like this, she has a great future."

"I was really happy I could get to the final," Peng said. "There were a lot of fans here, and whenever I was in a tough match they helped me fight through it. Every year this tournament gets better and I hope to be back here next year."

"She had a lot of expectation when she was younger," Zvonareva said of Peng. "She is improving every year and this year she's playing very well. Chinese tennis is strong right now. People don't want to play in Russia because there are so many Russian players, but now people don't want to come to China either! And I think there are going to be even more young players coming up."

Safina makes the hard work pay off

Dinara Safina was on fire since the start of the season, and she added the Toray Pan Pacific Open to her collection of 2008 wins, after she ousted her compatriot in straight sets.

Safina received the winner plate after she won to Svetlana Kuznetsova, 61 63.

"Playing Svetlana today, I knew I had to take my chances and be aggressive from the beginning; and it worked," Safina said. "My game just clicked after my match with Kanepi. My coach told me to stick to my game and it has worked. It has all been coming together. It's always nice to get a trophy, but the one here at the Toray Pan Pacific Open is very pretty and unique."

"I'm of course disappointed I lost in the final, but I have to stay positive because I had a good week in Tokyo," Kuznetsova said. "I came from Fed Cup, which was on clay, and arrived here later than usual, and still played solid tennis all week. Reaching the final was very important for my confidence. And Dinara played really well; she was the favorite going into this final and she delivered. She has been one of the best players since mid-season - she's fresher, more confident and an overall better player than in previous years."

Top seed through to title match with one of Chinese favorites

Olympic Bronze medalist Vera Zvonareva moved through to the final in Guangzhou, and she will be going against Shuai Peng for the title.

Zvonareva, seeded 1st, won her semifinal match easily against Jie Zheng, 63 75, to reach her first final since Prague in April. She will face Peng, who won her semifinal match in straight sets to Camille Pin, 62 61.

All-Russian final to be played

There will be an all-Russian final set on Sunday, after Svetlana Kuznetsova sent her opponent flying home, and Dinara Safina demolished her opponent in staright sets.

No. 5 seed Kuznetsova was the first to move into the final, after beating Katarina Srebotnik, 76(5) 62. Srebotnik had a steady 4-0 lead in the tiebreak, but Kuznetsova fought back to win.

"It was a good win; I'm happy to get revenge for the US Open," Kuznetsova said. "I was a bit lucky in the tie-break and after I won the first set I was a lot more confident out there. The conditions were pretty tough today because of the heat; it was really unbelievable, and so I took more time in between the points. Then I just changed my game a bit and tried to play smarter."

"I had my chance in the tie-break; after I lost the first set, Svetlana played better and I probably dropped my level a bit," Srebotnik said. "It was still a good match but today my legs felt a bit tired, and maybe I wasn't playing at my best..."

"Maybe it was my first serve percentage that made the difference. When I played her at the US Open I could rely on my serve when I needed it, but today this was not the case," Srebotnik added. "But I'm very happy with my performance here this week in Tokyo. I had a good week. Svetlana was the better player today."

Safina, seeded 4th, comfortably and easily won to compatriot Nadia Petrova, 61 60, in just 52 minutes.

"Nadia and I have played each other many times; this time when I went on court I knew I had to play my game and just go for the shots," Safina said. "I've also worked hard on my fitness over the last few months, so I knew I wouldn't lose today because I was not fit enough. I played well. I'm very happy how it went."

"I never really got into the match; I played well in my previous matches but I don't know what happened today," Petrova said. "But obviously Dinara was playing at a very good level from the beginning. It was nevertheless a good week. I reached another semifinal at a Tier I and this week showed me I'm on the right track with a lot of things."

"Tomorrow will be a tough match," Safina added about the final. "We know each other really well and I hope it will be a good final. It is not the first all-Russian final, so it will be a match like every other one and the better player will win the match."

"Dinara has been playing really well this season," Kuznetsova said. "I am just looking forward to a good match tomorrow."

Russian, Frenchwoman, two Chinese players through to semis

One Russian, one Frenchwoman, and two Chinese women advanced to the semifinals on Friday, with not one player losing a set on the way to victory.

Vera Zvonareva, top seeded, had an easy win over Karin Knapp of Italy, gaining victory over Knapp in just 55 minutes, 61 60.

Jie Zheng, seeded third, also had no trouble beating her quarterfinal opponent, advancing against Tamira Paszek, 62 61. Zheng will play Zvonareva for a final berth.

Camille Pin advanced in straight sets against No. 1 junior Aranxta Rus, 63 63, which will be the Frenchwoman's first semifinal since Auckland in 2007.

No. 4 seed Shuai Peng won her quarterfinal match against Jill Craybas, 64 61. Peng will meet Pin in the semis for a final berth.

Highest seed remaining ousted; three Russians, Slovenian into semis

One of the most biggest upsets at the Toray Pan Pacific Open occured on Friday, with Svetlana Kuznetsova ousting top seed Jelena Jankovic, who could've reclaimed the No. 1 spot had she won the tournament, in a thrilling three-setter.

Kuznetsova, seeded 5th in Tokyo, lost the first set, but didn't give up and went to win the match, 26 75 75.

"It was surely a good win for me today," Kuznetsova said. "I struggled to hold serve but I felt confident out there, so I was even serving and volleying a few times. I played the right tactics in the first set but I just couldn't find my way to the net; but I kept to my game plan in the second and third sets and the risk paid off, as I got more and more chances to approach, and I knew what I had to do."

"Svetlana played a very solid match; it was a close match at a high level and with a lot of volleying and long rallies, and unfortunately it went her way," Jankovic said. "The conditions were tough and it was probably warmer inside with the roof closed than outside, but we were both in the same situation so that's just the way it is. I played well at the US Open and it is challenging to keep the intensity up after such a big event. Again, it was a good match and Svetlana played well."

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito was sitting among the crowd. Kuznetsova hit one ball to him and he caught it.

"His catch was very impressive," Kuznetsova said. "It was a great honor to play in front of the prince today and I hope he enjoyed our match."

"It was special to play in front of the prince," Jankovic said. "When we entered the stadium we did the curtsy. It is always an honor."

Elena Dementieva was the highest seed left in the draw, but after Day 5 had ended, she was unfortunately flying home, after losing to Katarina Srebotnik, 63 64.

"Elena is one of the best and most consistent players this year - she is Olympic champion and did very well at the US Open. This is a great win," said Srebotnik, who earned her fourth Top 10 win of the year, and the eighth of her career. "I was very solid on my serve and groundstrokes, and my doubles helped with my net game. The last time I was in the semis here was 2000, so this feels good."

"At first I wasn't too happy I was one out of the main draw but today's result shows it was certainly a good thing," Srebotnik added. "It just all came together today and my qualifying matches probably helped. This is probably the best tennis I've played for a very long time. I'm very happy to be in the semis."

No. 6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska was also ousted on Day 5, falling to Nadia Petrova 63 60.

"I'm very happy with my performance today; I'm glad I've continued to play well in Tokyo," said Petrova, who beat Ivanovic the day before. "After yesterday's win I came into this match with a lot of confidence, and this helped in the beginning of the match, where I was not 100% yet. I'm definitely ready for more."

Dinara Safina also passed her quarterfinal test, rallying past qualifier Kaia Kanepi, 64 67(5) 62.

Top seed continues run; two seeds ousted

Two Chinese favorites and three seeds progressed to the quarterfinals in Guangzhou, but two seeds fell to their 17-year-old opponents in the second round.

No. 1 seed Vera Zvonareva advanced first, against lucky loser Xu Yi-Fan, 61 76(4). In the quarters she will face Karin Knapp, who won her second round match of Wednesday.

Jie Zheng, the highest ranked Chinese player left in the draw, won her match comfortably, to Ioana Raluca Olaru, 64 60. She will next face rising star Tamira Paszek, who won a thrilling match to No. 7 seed Pauline Parmentier, 62 26 63.

No. 5 seed Gisela Dulko was the other seeded loser of the day, falling to junior No. 1 Aranxta Rus in straight sets 64 64. She will take on Camille Pin, who won her match to Alla Kudryavtseva 26 60 62.

Ivanovic ousted by Russian; Jankovic, Dementieva continue run

As the second round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open was over, eight woman will now battle it out on Friday for a semifinal berth. The biggest upset so far featured Nadia Petrova ousting Ana Ivanovic in three sets.

It was Petrova's first win in their four meetings against the Serb, as she won 61 16 62. It is Petrova's first time in the quarters of Tokyo, after she fell in the first round on her first two attempts in 2000 and 2003.

Ivanovic's countrywoman, Jelena Jankovic, had the opposite result of Ivanovic, winning to Flavia Pennetta, 62 61. Jankovic needs to win the tournament to reclaim her No. 1 spot.

The other three seeds in action all won handily, with No.3 seed Elena Dementieva beating Alizé Cornet, 60 63; No.5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova beating wildcard Ayumi Morita, 61 61; and No.6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska beating Marion Bartoli, 62 63. Dementieva's win secured her qualification for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha 2008 (click here to read more).

All quarterfinals take place Friday, with Jankovic facing Kuznetsova, Dementieva playing Srebotnik, Safina playing Kanepi and Radwanska taking on Petrova.

Top seed through; two seeds ousted

On Day 3 of the TOE Life Ceramics Guangzhou International Women's Open, it was a happy day for some seeds and a sad day for others.

Vera Zvonareva, seeded 1st, played her debut match and finished it with victory, against Anastasia Rodionova, 61 62.

Among the four Chinese players left in the draw, Shuai Peng advanced to the next round after beating Mara Santangelo, 64 62; but lucky loser Chen Yanchong, who was lucky to get into the main draw when Marta Domachowska pulled out, wasn't lucky in her first round match against Camille Pin, when the Frenchwoman demolished Yanchong, 62 63.

The seeds who fell by the wayside were No.6 seed Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who lost 62 75 to her doubles partner this week, American veteran Jill Craybas; and No.8 seed Mariya Koryttseva, who was subdued by Karin Knapp of Italy, 64 64. Both upset artists advance to the quarterfinals.

Safina makes great start in Tokyo

Two of five Top 10 Russians played their debut matches on Thursday, and both of them succeeded to victory.
Dinara Safina, who got a bye in the first round and is seeded 4th, played her opening match against Dominika Cibulkova, and eased through to the third round with a 63 64 victory.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded 5th, played her opening match against Li Na, and got her revenge in three-sets, 62 16 63. Na had won two of their previous five meetings, but this time Kuznetsova turned it around, adding a win to her side.

The rest of the second round will take the courts of the Ariake Colosseum on Thursday. Top seed Jelena Jankovic will face Flavia Pennetta, No.2 seed Ana Ivanovic faces Petrova, No.3 seed Elena Dementieva faces Alizé Cornet, No.5 seed Kuznetsova faces Morita, No.6 seed Agnieszka Radwanska faces Marion Bartoli, Srebotnik plays Francesca Schiavone and Razzano faces Kaia Kanepi.

Seeds go 3-0 on Tuesday in Guangzhou

On Day 2 at Guangzhou, the seeds went 3-0, along with a qualifier and a wildcard advancing to the second round.

Jie Zheng, seeded third and probably the favorite in China, had no trouble taking out compatriot Sun Tian-Tian, 60 61.

There was more good news for the Chinese crowd, as they saw lucky loser Xu Yi-Fan upset Stephanie Dubois in straight sets, 63 61.

Junior No. 1 Aranxta Rus also had good first round results, beating No. 67 Yanina Wickmayer in a three-setter, 67(2) 62 64.

No. 7 seed Pauline Parmentier battled her way through to beat lucky loser Han Xinyun, 61 75.

Top seed Vera Zvonareva plays her first round match Wednesday against Rodionova, while last week's Bali runner-up Tamira Paszek takes on Korean qualifier Lee Ye-Ra.

8 of 16 seeds advance on Day 1 at Tokyo

As the first day of the Toray Pan Pacific Open took place, sixteen tennis stars took the courts on Tuesday, with 8 of them reserving a spot in the second round.

Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 6th, made a good start in her first round match, defeating Aiko Nakamura, 61 64.

A wave of matches between unseeded players followed Radwanska's win. Marion Bartoli dispatched Maria Kirilenko, 62 62; Flavia Pennetta beat Shahar Peer, 64 64; Alizé Cornet outlasted Aleksandra Wozniak, 46 63 63; Dominika Cibulkova won a nail-biter against Amélie Mauresmo, saving match points in the third set to beat the former No.1, 06 61 76(8); and Japanese youngster Ayumi Morita won a nail-biter herself, fighting back to beat Agnes Szavay, 67(7) 75 64.

Anna Chakvetadze, who is seeded eighth, didn't pass her first round test, as she fell in a three-setter to Kaia Kanepi, 64 36 63.

There could be a change to the rankings this week. Since No. 1 Serena Williams isn't playing this week, Jelena Jankovic the No. 2 in the world could have a chance at being No. 1 again, that is if she wins the tournament.

Ana Ivanovic, Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova are the No.2 through No. 5 seeds. Ivanovic, Dementieva and Safina all received first round byes as well; Kuznetsova will play Li Na in the first round on Wednesday.

Two seeds playing on opening day advance

The two seeds playing on Day 1 at Guangzhou had a great opening day, as they both advanced in straight sets, while two lucky losers met their fate.

Yan Zi, the gold medalist in doubles at the Olympics, fell to No. 6 Olga Govortsova, 63 62, while the other seed, No. 8 Mariya Koryttseva, had a tougher win, to Akgul Amanmuradova, 64 64.

China's wildcards fared better: after failing in a first set tie-break, Zhang Shuai took the second set from Karin Knapp, before the higher-ranked Italian stole back the momentum for a 76(6), 16 61 win; later, Lu Jingjing gave cause for cheer by defeating Ekaterina Dzehalevich, 76(4) 62.

Elsewhere in the draw, Ioana Raluca Olaru of Romania beat Aniko Kapros of Hungary, 67(5) 64 61; and in an all-Russian affair, Alla Kudryavtseva also needed three sets to subdue Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 64 46 63.

Schnyder gains 500th victory, along with 11th career title

As the final of the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic wrapped up, Patty Scnyder was the one to prevail, which gave the Swiss her 500th victory, and 11th career title.

Schnyder, seeded second, is the 2008 champion in Bali after winning easily to Tamira Paszek in straight sets, 63 60.

"I'm very proud; it's a great feeling to be the tournament champion," Schnyder said. "I had a great feeling the last three matches, where I was at a very good level and continued everything from New York, despite the fact I'm exhausted from being away from home for the last eight weeks and travelling all over the world. But I really like it here. I've been here many times and hope to make it back next year with the new format under the Tournament of Champions."

"I never thought I'd play 500 matches, let alone win that many," Schnyder said about her 500th victory. "I'm very proud of my career and I can keep improving, even at my age. Here I am knocking on the door of the Top 10 again, it's amazing. I wonder myself how much longer I can go. It's a great surprise and I hope I keep surprising myself."

"It was a great experience for me this week," Paszek said. "Especially after the tough few months I had it's a nice feeling to be in that winning rhythm again. Patty was just too tough today; she played really well. I think last night's match caught up with me today and I was definitely a little bit tired, but overall a good week for me and I hope to continue it the next few weeks in Asia."

Top seed ousted by Paszek; awaits Schnyder in the final

After the semifinals of the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic finished, it was Tamira Paszek and Patty Schnyder who prevailed to the final, and they will be playing for the trophy on Sunday.

Paszek, No. 85 in the world, defeated Daniela Hantuchova in a thrilling three-setter, 62 57 64, which will set up her rivalry aganist Swiss Schnyder.

"She's such a great player; I knew coming in I would have to play really well, and I did," Paszek said of Hantuchova. "I'm really enjoying myself here in Bali. I've been here for 10 days now and I'm in a great routine of playing the last match every evening, which helps. I hope to recover for my match tomorrow."

Schnyder ousted No. 4 seed Nadia Petrova in straight sets, 75 61.

"Today was probably the best match I have played here in Bali in the last couple of years," said Schnyder, who has reached the semifinals here twice before but fell in the second round last year. "I played really well, returned unbelievably and waited for the right ball to attack her on. We've known each other so long and it was a very high quality match. I have been playing very well the last few weeks and am very happy to be in the final here for the first time."

Schnyder will be playing her 24th career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles final, having gone 10-13 in her first 23. Paszek will be playing in just her second, although she did win her only previous one, at Portoroz two years ago.

Top 4 seed semifinal ruined by Paszek

Everybody was hoping for the semifinals with all 4 seeds. But it din't turn out that way this time, just because No. 3 Flavia Pennetta was ousted by Tamira Paszek in straight sets.

The bottom half semifinal will include No. 4 seed Nadia Petrova and No. 2 seed Patty Schnyder, after the Russian won her match to No. 5 seed Francesca Schiavone 64 63; and the Swiss won her match to Marta Domachowska, 62 62.

"I didn't go on court with the right attitude and the first five games I was fighting with myself and making it easy for her," Petrova said. "After 4-1 down in the first set I decided to fight and be more professional with myself and won that first set, which was crucial. After that I played quite well and was happy to win because she's a very dangerous player."

"I'm really happy with my game at the moment. I played very solid today, hardly making any mistakes," said Schnyder after her 62 62 dispatch of the 22-year-old Pole. "She doesn't like my game when I mix up the spins and I think she got frustrated and that made her make some errors. I'm looking forward to the semifinals. I've played Nadia quite a few times already and am ready for a tough battle."

Daniela Hantuchova, the top seed, survived a three-set battle against Chan-Yung Jan, 76(4) 46 62.

"I'm thrilled to win this match tonight," Hantuchova said. "It was very long, with many momentum shifts. The surface is very fast here with the heat and humidity and almost plays like grass, so things can change in a hurry. She played very well and was hitting the ball really flat and low.

"It means a lot to me to do well here after my injury and I really want to keep it going. It's my first semi since Australia."

Tamira Paszek will be the one to face Hantuchova, after winning to Pennetta, 46 60 62.

"I'm not changing my routine this week, it's a lucky one," Paszek said. "I keep playing last match of the day, and hitting for 15 minutes afterwards helps me a lot. I was happy to play well tonight against Flavia, who has been playing very well lately. After a slow start, I found my rhythm. I have nothing to lose against Daniela, I know how she plays, and I am just gonna go for it."

Two seeds advance; two seeds are sent flying

On Day 4 of the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic, two out of of fours were ousted, while the other two passed their second round tests to reserve a spot in the quarters.

No.3 seed and No. 4 seed Flavia Pennetta and Nadia Petrova were the first seed to move into the quarters; Pennetta winning her match to Anastasia Rodionova, 63 75; while Petrova won her match to Tathiana Garbin, 61 61.

"It was very tough out there for both of us; I was really struggling with the heat and humidity and it seemed in the second set I couldn't breathe anymore," Pennetta said. "Then I noticed she wasn’t feeling good either. She called the physio at the next changeover and again at 5-2. Maybe that made me more focused, and I'm very happy to be in the quarterfinals."

The two ousted seeds were No. 7 seed Sara Errani and No.9 seed Peng Shuai, Errani falling to Tamira Paszek in straight sets, 60 76(2); and Shuai falling to Chan-Yun Jan, 61 75.

"I tried to forget about who I was playing because if I thought about it, it would be really hard," Chan said of Peng. "We are very good friends off the court.

"I found it hard at the start of the week when I came here with the heat and the humidity, but I feel a lot more comfortable now and I have nothing to lose in tomorrow's quarterfinal match against Hantuchova. I'm focusing a lot more on my singles now. We had a great year in doubles last year and it gave me a lot of experience but I've been training in France at the Mouratoglou tennis academy the past few months and that's really helped."

Top two seeds through to quarterfinals

As the first quarterfinalists of the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic, No. 1 seed Daniela Hantuchova was one of them, along with No. 2 seed Patty Schnyder.

Hantuchova was the first of the seeds to advance, defeating Olga Savchuk for the quartefinal berth in straight sets, 61 75.

"I played a great first set, but in the second my level dropped," Hantuchova said. "I'm pleased with the way I came back from a break down at 5-4 in the second set and won the match. I haven't won too many matches the last couple months and am struggling to find my rhythm; today was a step in the right direction."

Schnyder had a strange but nice finish to her second round match, having a match point against Yuan Meng when it was 6-5 and started raining, but the swiss managed to close it out, 62 75.

"I've never had a rain delay occur at that point; thank God I was match point up and not match point down," Schnyder said. "Yuan served a lot better in the second set and hit closer to the lines. It's tough after such a great US Open to get motivated again so soon. I haven't been home for two months now. But I'm happy to only have doubles tomorrow and be in the quarterfinals on Friday."

Pennetta, Petrova through to second round

As the second day at the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic ended, three seeds advanced to the next round, and one seed was sent flying home.

No. 3 seed Flavia Pennetta, the first seed through, took nearly two hours to oust American Vania King in three sets, 76(7) 61.

"It was tough at the beginning getting used to the humidity and different rhythm from New York, that's why the first set was closer," Pennetta said after her 76(7) 61 win. "Once I settled down and played my game, her level dropped and it was much easier after that. I had a great time in New York and I've had a great season but I heard so many nice things about Bali I had to come. I would really like to do well this week."

No. 4 seed Nadia Petrova, who was the loser in the US Open against Pennetta, had a good opening match, defeating Aiko Morigami in straight sets, 63 61.

"I was very solid and did the right tactics," said Petrova, who won the Tier III event at Cincinnati last month and also reached the final at Eastbourne in June. "I have been working really hard since April with my new coach and have improved a lot physically. That's helping me move better on the court and I'm very happy with the way things are going."

Next up for Petrova is Tathiana Garbin of Italy, who had too much experience in the crunch for Hungary's Melinda Czink, winning 62 76(3). But the Italian veteran soon found herself on the receiving end of a warning from Petrova: "I'll be looking for some revenge after she ruined my New Year's Eve on the Gold Coast with a three and a half hour match," the Russian joked. "I hope it's quicker this time because in the humidity I think we will both be dead!"

Six local player ousted; Domachowska, Groenefeld advance in Bali

After the US Open ended last week, the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic kicked off on Monday (badly), with six local players (three wildcards and three unseeded players) being ousted on the first day in Bali, Indonesia.

The first local to fall was 22-year-old Sandy Gumulya, to top seed Francesca Schiavone in straight sets, 62 60. Schiavone was the runner-up her in 2005, and she is probably the favorite.

Peng Shuai of China eased past Japanese Ayumi Morita, 62 61.

Marta Domachowska also had similar results in her first round match, defeating Lavinia Tananta, 62 63.

Chinese player Yuan Meng was pushed to the limits by Yaroslava Shvedova, but eventually passed the test in three sets, 57 62 75.

Anna-Lena Groenefeld was featured in a match that lasted nearly two hours, battling against Tamira Paszek and winning 64 75.

Today's Results

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Singles - Final
(4) Serena Williams (USA) d. (2) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 64 75

Serena claims No. 1 spot along with US Open trophy

Serena Williams was fired up during the US Open fortnight, and that was what made her the US Open champion and gave her the No. 1 spot.

Jelena Jankovic was the one who fought for the No. 1 spot against Serena, but she eventually lost the opportunities she had throughout the match, and received just a runner-up plate for her efforts after losing 64 75.

"I don't even remember match point. I just remember I won and that I was so excited. I knew that I just had to go for it," an elated Williams told reporters. "I'm so excited, I can't even describe it. Usually after a Grand Slam I feel like I still have another match to play, but I don't really feel that way today. I feel like it's done and it's all over, and I'm so excited. I think it showed on the court."

"I went out there like it was another final, and I just tried to play my best tennis," Jankovic said. "We had some great points. It was some really entertaining tennis out there. And I had a lot of chances, especially in the second set, but I just didn't do the right things. She was the better one tonight."

Serena is just the sixth woman to win nine or more Grand Slam titles, along with Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

"This is cool, because I'm at No.9. I'm knocking at the door of double digits," Williams said. "I have the game to do it. I obviously play well in Australia, and that's coming up soon, so maybe there. I have to win another French Open and I love Wimbledon. I love winning Grand Slams, so I look forward to it."

"I had a great two weeks," Jankovic said. "I fought really hard out there in every match, and tonight I gave everything I had. It was all a great learning experience for me. I really love the atmosphere here - the crowd, the city... it has so much energy and it suits my personality quite well."

"I've been working so hard all year. Sometimes I wake up at 6am to go and practice and it's too dark, and I wait until it gets light. No one really, really knows the work an athlete puts in. But it's all worth it. It's all paying off. I'd feel like gosh, I've been working the hardest, so I should win."

Today's Results

Friday, September 5, 2008

Singles - Semifinals
(4) Serena Williams (USA) d. (6) Dinara Safina (RUS) 63 62
(2) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. (5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) 64 64

Jankovic through to first major final with Serena

The Grand Slam along with the top ranking will be up for grabs on Saturday night, as two players are desperate to win.

Jelena Jankovic was the first to reserve a spot in her first career Grand Slam final, after winning to Olympic Gold medalist Elena Dementieva in straight sets, 64 64.

"As you could see, I was fighting out there," said Jankovic, who misfired 22 times but would rarely give any ground on the most important points of the match. "I never give up. I'm there until the last point, trying my best. This is really what has helped propel me through this tournament and now into the final."

"Mentally I'm a lot stronger now; I really believe in myself," Jankovic said. "It's about time for me to make that step forward, break that barrier and go a long way. I want to win a Grand Slam. This is why I came here."

"She was playing very safely, which was smart especially because of the windy conditions today; I was just trying to go for winners and couldn't make it," Dementieva said. "I feel like this was a good run. Maybe I felt a little bit tired today and couldn't play my best. Against her you have to work really hard on every single point. With other players, two or three balls might be enough; but with her you have to be ready for six, seven... or even more."

Serena Williams, the other finalist and champion her in 1999 and 2002, defeated Dinara Safina, who had high hopes of winning, in straight sets, 63 62.

"She was playing so well this summer; she beat me in Berlin and I was not very happy about that, and felt that I could play better," Williams said. "It was kind of hard to do today with the conditions, but I wanted to just go up against the best player this summer, and I'm very happy to have made it through."

"I could see she was a little bit uncomfortable in the beginning of the match," said Safina, who won the first two games of the match before Williams gathered steam. "She also had some wind problems. Maybe she was not feeling 100%. But she was there and she was fighting with me. I was fighting with everything except her. I can learn from her how to handle these situations."

"She loves to play here at the Open, but so do I - I love being here, I love the atmosphere," Jankovic said about Serena. "It's going to be an interesting match. She's in great form and doing really well the last couple of months. She's the strongest player on the Tour, together with her sister. If you want to win when they're in really good form, you have to be at the top of your level, go for every shot and run a lot. It will be difficult, but it's doable."

"I don't know too many people on the Tour that can hang in there as much as she can," Williams said of Jankovic. "She's playing well, and she's just going for glory here. It's definitely going to be a tough match."

Today's Results

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Singles - Quarterfinals
(4) Serena Williams (USA) d. (7) Venus Williams (USA) 76(6) 76(7)
(6) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (16) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 62 63

Younger sister wins all-Williams quarterfinal

In the match that went on for 2 hours and 25 minutes and ended with a 76(6) 76(7) score, it was the younger sister, No.4 seed Serena, who prevailed against older sister, No. 7 seed Venus.

Venus, seeded No.7, seemed to have the upper hand throughout her defeat. She led 5-3 in the first set and 5-2 in the second set. She had 10 unconverted set points: two at 6-4 in the first set tie-break, triple set point at 5-3 in the second set, one on Serena's serve at 6-5 in the second set, triple set point at 6-3 in the second set tie-break, and one last one leading 7-6 in the second set tie-break. In the end it was those critical points that may have mattered, as Serena won just three points more than her big sister, 101-98.

"I think we played a really great match today. I think it just boiled down to one point here and there," Serena said. "It was really lucky for me because she never makes those errors. I can't say I was disappointed. I obviously want the best for her, but in that situation you want to win, too."

"I'm a very good closer... I've never had a match like this in my life. I guess there's always a first," Venus said. "I felt like I was always in control. I was always playing more aggressively, always going for a lot more, but I was always coming up a little short. That's sports though. It's never over until it's over.

"I feel like if it was someone else, I definitely would have won the match."

Next up for Serena is Dinara Safina who won her quarterfinal match to Flavia Pennetta in straight sets, 62 63.

"Serena always fights until the ball bounces two times on her side," Safina said. "She moves very well and can hit the ball very hard from any position on the court. You really have to be focused until the ball bounces twice or she misses, or you hit a clear winner. I am just going to focus on myself and give 100%."

Today's Results

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Singles - Quarterfinals
(2) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. (29) Sybille Bammer (AUT) 61 64
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. (15) Patty Schnyder (SUI) 62 63

Jelena, Elena to clash in semis on Thursday

Elena Dementieva breezed through to the US Open semifinals along with Jelena Jankovic, who will be her opponent for a final berth.

No. 5 seed Dementieva was the first to reserve a spot in the semis, defeating Patty Schnyder in straight sets, 62 63.

I expected a tough match against her; I was very pleased the way I was playing today," Dementieva said. "We had a big fight in the second set. I lost my serve, so it was a very, very important moment for me to break her again. I'm happy I was able to do that. I'm very excited to be in the semis, but I'm sure I need to improve my game and play a better match if I want to go to the final."

"It feels much better to win in two sets," Dementieva said. "I remember being in the final here before but I had won such tough matches, a few 7-6 in the third, that it was tough physically to be ready to play my best in the final. I spent so many hours on the court. But it's important to win in two sets, especially coming from Beijing. Extra time for recovery is always good."

Jankovic, seeded second, was featured in the first night match, and she outplayed Sybille Bammer in straight sets also, 61 64.

"I'm happy about winning in two sets," Jankovic said. "I feel that everyday I'm playing better and better. I'm moving a lot better and I'm feeling my shots a lot better. That's the most important thing for me right now. I'm just here to play one match at a time, and so I'm happy to be in the semifinals again."

Jankovic is going to play her fifth Grand Slam semifinal on Thursday, and she has a 4-3 lead in head-to-head results against the Russian.

"Jankovic is probably the most consistent player in the tournament," Dementieva said. "She's going to get everything back. She moves unbelievably well on the court and she's pretty solid on the baseline. You really have to go on court and create something. There's no way you can wait for a mistake or just be defensive from the baseline. You need to do something. That's what I would like to try."

"She's a tough player," Jankovic said. "She's very solid. She moves great. It will be a tough match. I have beaten her before, including here two years ago in the quarterfinals. So it will be another experience. I would love to make another step forward and reach my first final of a Grand Slam, and then play on Saturday. I will try really my best, and hopefully I can do it."

Today's Results

Monday, September 1, 2008

Singles - Fourth Round
(4) Serena Williams (USA) d. (WC) Severine Brémond (FRA) 62 62
(6) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (Q) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 75 60
(7) Venus Williams (USA) d. (9) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 61 63
(16) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. (32) Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) 63 60

Williams sisters will clash in quarters; Safina through, one ste closer to playing one of the sisters

The fourth round ended on Monday, and the Williams sisters will clash in the quarters, and Dinara Safina also won her match and will face Flavia Pennetta.

Safina won her match to Anna-Lena Groenefeld in straight sets. Safin had no trouble with the qualifier, ousting the German 75 60.

"Maybe I didn't play my best but I made it through; that's the most important thing," said Safina, who admitted the last few months have begun catching up with her. "Now I have a day off. Hopefully I can be 100% for my next match."

"It was very tough for both of us because it was so windy," Pennetta said about the match she won to Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round. "I was just trying to put my first serves in and not go for too much. But I think Amélie was making a lot of mistakes today. She didn't play her best tennis at all and I was very focused on my game, and I think that's probably why I won."

"I think a lot of the reasons for the way the match turned out came from me," Mauresmo said. "The conditions were pretty windy out there today. She played well, of course. As for me, this is definitely something we'll try to analyze and work on for the next tournaments. I'll definitely be working on some things."

"She's in good shape; this summer she won two tournaments, reached another final, and now the quarterfinals here," said Pennetta, who is 0-4 lifetime against Safina. "I'll have to serve well. My first serve is going to be important, and also my returns. But I'm trying not to think about it yet."

The Williams sisters won their matches easily; No. 7 seed Venus beating No. 9 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, 61 63; while No. 4 seed Serena beat Severine Bremond, a wildcard, 62 62.

"Obviously she's a very good player and in the second set she raised the level of her game, trying to attack me more, move in and play more aggressive shots," Venus said about the match with Radwanska. "That was smart of her. She got a break of serve and had some opportunities, but fortunately I was able to get them right back and win."

The sisters will play together for the 17th time, and ther head-to-head results so far are 8-8.

"It's tough to play her because she is so good," Venus said about Serena. "I would love to win this championship. I have to meet her in the quarterfinals, and that will be a huge milestone to get by her. That's how I see it, as trying to win the tournament."

"It sucked that it can't be a final - it's just disappointing to be so soon," Serena said. "I feel like I can win the tournament if I play my best tennis. I don't think I've played my best yet. So I'm going to try to do that. And whoever wins this will be going on to the semis and fighting."

Today's Results

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Singles - Fourth Round
(2) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. (21) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 36 62 61
(5) Elena Dementieva (RUS) d. Li Na (CHN) 64 61
(29) Sybille Bammer (AUT) d. (12) Marion Bartoli (FRA) 76(3) 06 64
(15) Patty Schnyder (SUI) d. (28) Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 46 63 63

Jankovic battles through to quarters; Dementieva through with easy win

Jelena Jankovic dropped the first set in her Day 7 match, but came back to win to Caroline Wozniacki in a thrilling three-setter.

Jankovic, the highest seed left, battled her way through to the quarterfinals after a win to 21st seed Wozniakci, 36 62 61.

"In the first set she played quite solid. She put all these balls back. She didn't make any errors. I was the one who was all over the place," Jankovic said. "I tried to stay composed and calm. I had to change something. In the second set I started playing a bit more aggressively from one side; I was hitting the ball harder from the other. I was putting more spin, too. I did the smart things and it worked out. I cruised through after that. I'm happy to get through."

"I started out well. I played my own game. I played aggressive. But from the second set I got defensive," Wozniacki said. "Even though I was hitting the ball it wasn't going. I felt a bit tired. Jelena is No.2 for a reason. She took advantage and she started dictating the points. I just didn't feel like I could overpower her today. She was just better than me today. She's playing really well."

Next up for Jankovic is 29-year-old Sybille Bammer, who won her fourth round match to No. 12 seed Marion Bartoli 76(3) 06 64.

"This year I haven't played her, but last year I played her many, many times - I think three times in a row around this time of year," Jankovic said of Bammer, against whom she is 5-1 lifetime. "I know how to play against her. She's an experienced player. She runs very well. She's quite solid. But I will do my best."

Also reaching the quarterfinals on Sunday were Elena Dementieva and Patty Schnyder, who will now play for the 17th time, with Dementieva winning nine of their first 16 matches. The No.15-seeded Schnyder was the first to advance, rallying back to defeat No.28 seed Katarina Srebotnik, 46 63 63; No.5 seed Dementieva followed her into the final eight in the feature night match on Arthur Ashe, beating a somewhat erratic Li Na, 64 61.

"We've played lots of times against each other through our careers," Dementieva said on her looming match with Schnyder. "She's a very unique player. She's a lefty, first of all, and has great feel. It's never easy to play against her. But I've got experience playing against Patty, so hopefully it's going to help me."

Today's Results

Sunday, August 30, 2008

Women's 3rd round
Venus Williams (USA x7) bt Alona Bondarenko (UKR x27) 6-2, 6-1
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x18) 6-0, 6-3
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x32) bt Julie Coin (FRA) 6-4, 6-4
Serena Williams (USA x4) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN), 6-2, 6-1
Flavia Pennetta (ITA x16) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x19) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) bt Alize Cornet (FRA x17) 6-4, 7-5
Dinara Safina (RUS x6) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Severine Bremond (FRA) bt Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4