DUBAI, Feb 22: Lindsay Davenport celebrated her 700th singles victory on Wednesday by crushing Russia’s Elena Likhovtseva 6-0 6-0 to reach the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open.
Martina Hingis beat sixth seed Anastasia Myskina 6-4 6-3 and looked a much better player than she had in her struggle against India’s Sania Mirza the previous evening.
The Swiss former world number one swept to a 4-0 lead, at one stage winning 14 consecutive points, and although she netted a forehand to drop her serve at 5-3, she forced a forehand error from Myskina to break in the next game.
Myskina broke to lead the second set 1-0 but Hingis, still on the comeback trail after three years in retirement, responded by winning the next four games against the Russian.
Results:
Second round: Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5; Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-1, 6-0; Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 6-4, 6-3; Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) bt Henrieta Nagyova (SVK) 6-3, 6-1; Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) 6-0, 6-0; Martina Hingis (SUI) bt Anastasia Myskina (RUS) 6-4, 6-3.
Roddick stops ROT
MEMPHIS (Tennessee): Andy Roddick finally stopped the bleeding on Tuesday as seeds continued to fail in the 865,000-dollars ATP-WTA event.
The No. 1 seed took two hours and 15 minutes to defeat a persisent Mardy Fish in their first round match.
For Roddick the 6-3 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (7-2) win was some consolation after British teenager Andy Murray stopped him in a semi-final in San Jose, California, last weekend.
Blake, the fifth seed, was shown the door by Belgian Kristof Vliegen, 6-4, 6-4. It was the second straight first-round defeat for the American, who lost to Yeu-Tzuoo Wang of Taipei last week in San Jose.
Wang was stopped here Tuesday by Julien Benneteau, of France, who rallied with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) win.
And in the women’s, three of the top eight, including the top two seeds, Nicole Vaidisova, of the Czech Republic, and German Anna-Lena Groenefeld, are out already with the fifth seeded Australian Samantha Stosur.
Vaidisova was a surprising loser to wildcard Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4, in the first round.
Results:
Men (first round): Andy Roddick (USA) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 6-3 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (7/2); Kristof Vliegen (Bel) bt James Blake (USA) 6-4 6-4; Robin Soderling (SWE) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-0, 6-1; Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (TPE) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2); Wayne Arthurs (AUS) bt Tomas Zib (CZE) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 7-5 7-6 (7/4); Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Kristian Pless (DEN) 6-7 (3/7) 7-6 (7/4) 6-4.