SAN DIEGO, Aug 1: French Open champion Anastasia Myskina saved nine match points to outlast fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 in a thriller on Saturday to reach the final of the $1.3 million Acura Classic.
The third seed now meets American Lindsay Davenport, who earlier in the day stormed into her third successive final by overcoming Russia's Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-4. Davenport, the fourth seed, beat Serena Williams last week to win the JP Morgan Chase title and Venus Williams to clinch the Stanford title the previous week.
In a remarkable tussle lasting two hours 28 minutes, the volatile Myskina had to call upon all her reserves to down her Fed Cup team mate. The match featured frequent outbursts by Myskina, 23, aimed at her coach Jens Erlach. Zvonareva, 19, also twice clubbed balls over the stadium in frustration.
Myskina saved the first match point at 4-5 down in the third set when Zvonareva was wild with a backhand down the line. The tiebreak in the deciding set see-sawed back and forth, both women coming up with amazing shots at crunch times before Myskina clinched it 17-15.
On five of the eight match points she warded off in the tiebreak, Myskina came up with winners, while Zvonareva also had to save four match points.
SATURDAY'S RESULTS (PREFIX NUMBER DENOTES SEEDING):
TORONTO: Defending champion Andy Roddick set up a dream final against world number one Roger Federer by beating Germany's Nicolas Kiefer 7-5, 6-3 at the Toronto Masters on Saturday.
Federer rallied to knock out Swede Thomas Johansson 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 earlier in the day, the Swiss player's 22nd victory in a row. Second seed Roddick is also on fire, his only defeat in 22 matches being inflicted by Federer in the final of Wimbledon at the start of this month.
It was a case of deja vu for Roddick and Kiefer, who also met in the final in Indianapolis last Sunday. That match was no contest as the American romped home 6-2, 6-3.
SATURDAY'S RESULTS:
SEMIFINALS: 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; 2-Andy Roddick (US) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 7-5, 6-3. -Agencies
