Safina advances to second straight French final; Kuznetsova to be challenged

Top seed Dinara Safina has reached her second consecutive French Open final after winning to No. 20 seed Dominika Cibulkova in straight sets, and will face compatriot No. 7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, who went to three sets against No. 30 seed Samantha Stosur on Thursday in Paris.

Safina didn't have any trouble against her Slovakian opponent, as she won with a score of 63 63.

Before winning, Kuznetsova led 5-2 in the second set tiebreak, but then Stosur won it with a score of 7-5. The final set was won easily by Kuznetsova, ending the match with a score of 64 67(5) 63.

"Sam played so well in the tie-break. She took the risks and she made them. I give her credit," Kuznetsova said. "I stayed tough and won the third set. Even though I should have won the second set, I still kept playing. I didn't give up."

"I tried to the last point, but when you go down a break in the third, it's not easy to get it back," Stosur said. "I've played big matches before. I thought I handled the occasion really well. I felt really good out there mentally and physically, and I gave it my best shot. I don't think the occasion overwhelmed me."

Safina and Kuznetsova have a head-to-head result of 8-5, with Safina leading. But the record between the them on clay is 4-4, and 1-1 in Roland Garros.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Singles - Semifinals

(1) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (20) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 63 63

(7) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (30) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 64 67(5) 63

Stosur will challenge Kuznetsova in bottom half semifinal

On Wednesday in Paris, No. 30 seed Samantha Stosur continued to shine in her run at the French Open, as she ousted her Romanian opponent in straight sets, while No. 2 seed Serena Williams didn't succeed in getting to the semifinal.

Stosur not only won her match to Sorana Cirstea with a score of 61 63, but also became the first Australian woman to reach the semifinal at Roland Garros in 20 years, after Nicole Bradtke in 1988.

Serena failed to defeat No. 7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in her quest to the final, losing to the Russian with a score of 76(3) 57 75.

"I started out a little slowly. I got down a double break. Maybe I could have won the first set, and then maybe I could have won the first two sets," Williams said. "In the third I had an opportunity and I got tight, and I gave it to her. It was like, 'Here, do you want to go to the semis? Because I don't.' She was like, 'Okay.'"

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Singles - Quarterfinals

(7) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (2) Serena Williams (USA) 76(3) 57 75

(30) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 61 63

Safina, Cibulkova first semifinalists on Day 9 in Paris

On Tuesday at the French Open, top seed Dinara Safina and No. 20 seed Dominika Cibulkova became the first semifinalists, as they both won to tough opponents, but in completely different scores.

Safina faced No. 9 seed Victoria Azarenka in her quarterfinal match, and she eventually won it with a battle, 16 64 62.

"She was playing well, and I was playing exactly into her zone. Then I started to fight, point by point," Safina said. "If I didn't fight in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam as No.1 in the world, I wouldn't deserve that spot. I didn't play my game today but I fought until the end. It's something I have in me. My fight was enough today but I hope to play better for my next match."

"I had my chances, but she stepped it up and played some good points at the key moments, so I have to give her all the credit," said Azarenka, who was playing her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. "It was pretty big that I didn't do anything at the 4-all game in the second set. I should have. I think that was it. I have to learn to play better in these moments. Hopefully I'll do better next time."

Cibulkova had the easiest match of the day, as she beat Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 60 62.

"Today I was playing really solid. Not a lot of errors. I knew if I played well I'd have a chance," Cibulkova said. "When I was up 60 50 and 40-30, I realized I could beat Maria Sharapova, 60 60, and go to the semifinals in a Grand Slam. I got shocked a little bit. When it got to 60 52 I knew I had to make that game because if it got to 5-3, 5-4, it would be difficult. I could get really tight."

"She played really solid and made me hit a lot of balls, and I came up short today," Sharapova said. "I was very appreciative of the way the crowd was rooting for me, asking for me to fight and keep working to find a way to turn things around. I've had a really great last few weeks here, and I can only tell them that I'll be back next year."

Tomorrow, the other two quarterfinals will be played, as No. 7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova will face No. 2 seed Serena Williams, while Sorana Cirstea will face No. 30 seed Samantha Stosur.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Singles - Quarterfinals

(1) Dinara Safina (RUS) d. (9) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 16 64 62

(20) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 60 62

Jankovic gets demolished; Serena advances on Day 8 in Paris

The fourth round at the French Open came to an end on Monday, as No. 5 seed Jelena Jankovic was sent flying home after losing in three tough sets to Sorana Cirstea.

Jankovic was upset by the Romanian with a score of 36 60 97.

"I really wanted to win. Maybe I wanted it too much in the first set and I wasn't playing the right way," said Cirstea, whose win over Jankovic was her second straight Top 10 win, having upset Caroline Wozniacki the round prior. "After I lost the first set I relaxed. I knew I had nothing to lose. I did that until the end of the third set, when I started to get nervous again, but I just tried to keep taking control of the points and stay aggressive."

"It was a really tough match and a tough loss for me," said Jankovic, who was a semifinalist at Roland Garros the last two years. "I should have closed out the match at 6-5, 30-0. All of a sudden, point by point, the game went in her favor and everything got complicated. I'll have to learn from this."

No. 2 seed Serena Williams easily crushed her opponent, Aleksandra Wozniak, 61 62; and No. 7 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova also advanced after winning to No. 12 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, 64 16 61.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Singles - Fourth Round

(2) Serena Williams (USA) d. (24) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 61 62

Sorana Cirstea (ROU) d. (5) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 36 60 97

(7) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) d. (12) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 64 16 61

(30) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 61 62