05 February 2005	Saturday	25 Zilhaj 1425

PATTAYA, Feb 4: Top seed Vera Zvonareva fell at the quarterfinal stage of the Thai Open on Friday, losing 6-4 6-2 to fellow Russian Evgenia Linetskaya.

Linetskaya, who had faced elimination when she trailed Tamarine Tanasugarn by a set and 5-1 in the first round, flew past her illustrious compatriot to reach her first career semi-final.

The resounding victory came after some unusual preparation for the 68th-ranked Linetskaya. Instead of resting, the 18-year-old joined a boat trip to a nearby island, only returning shortly before taking to the court.

Her next opponent will be third seed Conchita Martinez, who overcame Israeli qualifier Shahar Peer 6-4 6-3. The second semi-final will be between young German Anna Lena Groenefeld and the world's number one doubles player, Virginia Ruano Pascual.

QUARTERFINAL RESULTS: Evgenia Linetskaya (Russia) bt 1-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-4 6-2; 3- Conchita Martinez (Spain) bt Shahar Peer (Israel) 6-4 6-3; 7-Anna Lena Groenefeld (Germany) bt Alyona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4 6-1; 8-Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) beat Magui Serna (Spain) 6-2 6-1

SHARAPOVA IN SEMIS

TOKYO: Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and world number one Lindsay Davenport both powered into the Pan Pacific Open semi-finals in resounding fashion on Friday.

Sharapova swept aside fellow Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-3 6-3 while Davenport trounced Czech Iveta Benesova 6-1 6-2 to move closer to a record fifth title at the $1.3 million tournament. But there was disappointment for Elena Dementieva as the Russian was upset by Japan's Shinobu Asagoe 6-3 6-4 after suffering a freak hand injury. Second seed Sharapova, beaten by Serena Williams in the Australian Open semi-finals last week, was never seriously tested in a one-sided match on Tokyo's indoor carpet.

The 17-year-old repeatedly punished Likhovtseva's weak serve and closed out the match with a ferocious backhand pass after 64 minutes. Pan Pacific title holder Davenport is also trying to get the Australian Open out of her system after losing to Williams in the final last weekend.

QUARTERFINAL RESULTS: 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt 8-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4; 1-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-2; Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) bt 4-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-3 6-4; 2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) bt 6-Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-3 6-3. -Reuters