November 10, 2006	Friday	Shawwal 17, 1427

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MADRID, Nov 9: Maria Sharapova powered to her second win in two days at the WTA Championships here on Wednesday defeating Belgium's Kim Clijsters 6-4, 6-4 in a top-quality encounter.

The 19-year-old Russian put herself on the cusp of reaching the semi-finals with a dominant display against an opponent who had clawed her way back to top form after an injury-ravaged summer.

Sharapova pocketed the first set 6-4 but had to withstand a determined fightback by Clijsters in the second.

The US Open champion had to stave off break points in the second and fourth games, but did so mainly thanks to her big serve, one of the most powerful in the women's game.

She then struck in the fifth game to get a vital break of serve and moved out to 5-2 ahead before Clijsters staged one brave last stand.

The Belgian broke Sharapova's serve for the first time in the eighth game and then held her own to get to 5-4.

She then had two break points to level the set, but once again Sharapova produced her best tennis and she ran out a confident winner in 1hour 29minutes.

Earlier Svetlana Kuznetsova showed Sharapova she was not the only on-form Russian in town with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Elena Dementieva in the same red group.

Number four Kuznetsova had to fight hard in the opening set as her rival, already beaten in straight sets by Sharapova on Tuesday, rebounded after losing the first two games but succumbed in 1hr 50min to a service winner.

It was Dementieva's eighth straight loss at the year-ending event after she lost all her group matches in her two previous appearances.

After a titanic opening saw the pair split the first six games Dementieva hit a forehand long to drop serve in the eighth game but Kuznetsova produced a double fault when serving for the set.

However, the French Open finalist Kuznetsova finally threw off her inconsistent spell as she held and then broke to take the set 7-5 at the third time of asking after a 70min struggle.

Buoyed by getting her nose in front the 21-year-old from Saint Petersburg raced into early command in the second set making it five games on the trot as she motored 3-0 and then 4-1 clear with an ace.

But Dementieva dug her heels in and held only to be bamboozled by a superlative backhand and then two of her own mistakes as Kuznetsova moved to the brink of victory.

Dementieva saved a match point with a beefy forehand winner but Kuznetsova was not to be denied second time around.

In the final game of the evening, Switzerland's Martina Hingis beat Russian Nadia Petrova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 which means France's Amelie Mauresmo is certain to lose her world number one status after 34 weeks in pole position.

Hingis is playing the end-of-year event for the eighth time but first since leaving the Tour in 2002 with foot and ankle injuries.

The top two in each group will go forward to the semis in a competition which contains four former winners for the first time since

Collated results:

Red Group

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Elena Dementieva (RUS) 7-5, 6-3; Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Kim Clijsters (BEL) 6-4, 6-4Yellow Group

Martina Hingis (SUI) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 —AFP