Thursday, January 7, 2009: Results for ASB Classic

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 61 62
(3/WC) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. (WC) Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 62 62
(4) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) d. Alizé Cornet (FRA) 62 63
Shahar Peer (ISR) d. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 60 36 61

Go lower for article and scores about Day 4 in Brisbane.

Justine survives Czink challenge, into semis: Clijsters beats Safarova in three sets to get closer to meeting countrywoman in final

Justine Henin's comeback nearly came to a halt but her fighting spirit carried her into the semifinals, as she edged a game Melinda Czink in the quarterfinals on Thursday, 62 36 76(5).

Playing her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event since retiring from tennis 19 months ago, Henin won her first and second round matches in straight sets; Czink, the No.7 seed, pushed the Belgian wildcard hard however, getting the lone break of serve in the second set and clawing back into contention several times in the third set, including rallying from 1-4 to 4-4 before falling.

"This was something I needed - a tough match, a good fight," Henin said of the two-hour, 21-minute brawl. "It was a different rhythm. She played very well, it was a high level of tennis today. There were lots of ups and downs for me but when it got to the third set I realized I had to fight very hard to win."

Next up for Henin will be No.3 seed Ana Ivanovic, who cruised in the first set and saved set point in the second set tie-break to edge Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 62 76(6). Henin is 4-0 lifetime against Ivanovic, although this will be the first time they play in almost exactly two years.

At night, top seed Kim Clijsters survived a streaky three-setter against Lucie Safarova, splitting two lopsided sets before winning, 61 06 64.

"She really raised her game in the second set and hit all the lines. It seemed like I couldn't get in the rallies before she hit a winner, but I should have started to step into the ball earlier than I did," Clijsters said of Safarova. "Before the third set I told myself to forget it and try for every point. I started to serve better, but it was just a few points that made the difference."

Clijsters will next play Andrea Petkovic, who upset No.4 seed Daniela Hantuchova earlier in the day, 64 62. It will be the pair's first meeting.


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Singles - Quarterfinals
(1) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 61 06 64
(3) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 62 76(6)
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (4) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 64 62
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (7) Melinda Czink (HUN) 62 36 76(5)

Henin wins in straight sets to advance to quarters in Brisbane

The last four quarterfinal berths were snapped up at the Brisbane International on Wednesday, as the second round came to a close.

The first three matches of the day took place in the afternoon, with Daniela Hantuchova, Lucie Safarova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova moving through. Hantuchova, the No.4 seed, beat Agnes Szavay, 63 61, and Safarova upset No.6 seed Aleksandra Wozniak by the same score; Pavlyuchenkova trailed 61 43 to Roberta Vinci but surged back to beat the Italian, 16 64 61.

In the much-anticipated night match, Justine Henin - a wildcard in the draw - beat qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva, 64 63. Henin, who beat No.2 seed Nadia Petrova on Monday in the first match of her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour comeback, was slow to start in each of the sets against Karatantcheva, falling behind 2-0 in each one; but she regrouped both times to win routinely.

"It took me a few games to get into the match. It's a night session today, a different situation," Henin said. "It's about rhythm. In my first match, Petrova pushed me very hard. Sesil stays far from her baseline and lets me play. I wasn't aggressive enough. But it was a two set match and I'm still happy."

Top seed Kim Clijsters, No.3 seed Ana Ivanovic, No.7 seed Melinda Czink and Andrea Petkovic won second round matches on Tuesday.

All four quarterfinals will take the court on Thursday, with Clijsters facing Safarova, Ivanovic facing Pavlyuchenkova, Hantuchova facing Petkovic and Czink facing Henin in a battle of 27-year-olds.


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(4) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Agnes Szavay (HUN) 63 61
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. (6) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 63 61
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 16 64 61
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (Q) Sesil Karatantcheva (KAZ) 64 63

Clijsters advances; Henin wins first official comeback match in Brisbane

Kim Clijsters won a battle of comeback kids Down Under on Tuesday, beating Australian darling Alicia Molik in straight sets in the second round of the $220,000 Brisbane International.

In a battle between two players who came out of retirement last year - as well as two of the most popular players in Australia - Clijsters, the No.1 seed, cruised past wildcard Molik in exactly an hour, winning eight games in a row right off the bat and, after watching her opponent close to 3-all in the second set, reeling off three more to dust off the straight set win, 60 63.

"We've known each other for a lot of years, and even though we haven't played a match for a long time, the feeling is still there," Clijsters said. "I was able to read her serve well today. I also tried to use all the angles to make her move."

"I'm glad that I played her here before Melbourne," Molik said. "I'm not very disappointed. I was playing mostly at pro level in the past months. I watched a lot of matches on TV, but it's different when you are actually playing this level."

Clijsters could be on a collision course with fellow Belgian and close rival Justine Henin, who came out of retirement herself and is playing her first event back here. On Monday she won her first round match against Nadia Petrova, the No.2 seed.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Singles - Second Round
(1) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (WC) Alicia Molik (AUS) 60 63
(3) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 62 26 64
(7) Melinda Czink (HUN) d. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 63 26 61
Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. Vania King (USA) 46 62 61