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| August 04, 2007 | Saturday | Rajab 19, 1428 |
Sharapova sparks Russian charge at San Diego Classic
CARLSBAD (California), Aug 3: Maria Sharapova put aside worries over an aching shoulder on Thursday to spark a Russian charge into the quarter-finals of the San Diego Classic.
Russians claimed five of the eight spots in quarter-finals of the concluding edition of this event, which will fall victim to a WTA calendar shake-up for 2008.
The top seed and defending champion swept the first nine games in a 6-0, 6-3 win over French 13th seed Tatiana Golovin.
Sharapova is dealing with a long-running shoulder problem which will not get worse and will slowly heal, doctors tell her.
Unseeded Maria Kirilenko followed the winning example, defeating ailing second seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Jankovic, who qualified along with Justine Henin into the year-end WTA Championships field this week, said she was suffering from a cold during the 2hr 44min defeat.
The world number three Serb had a dozen break point chances against Kirilenko, with the Russian saving nine of them.
The pair of Russian winners were joined in the last eight by compatriots Anna Chakvetadze, Nadia Petrova and Elena Dementieva.
Number three Chakvetadze won her 11th straight match, beating Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4 while fourth seed Petrova eliminated Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik 6-3, 7-6 (12/10). Dementieva, the ninth seed, dealt fifth-seeded Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli a 6-4, 7-5 loss.
Dementieva next plays Kirilenko, while Chakvetadze will face Wimbledon champion Williams. The 10th-seeded American advanced with ease, dismissing sixth-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-0, 6-3.
India’s Sania Mirza handed Russia its only setback of the day, beating eighth seed Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-2 and next faces Sharapova.
Patty Schnyder won a Swiss struggle as she took a 3-2 lead in her career rivalry with Martina Hingis after a 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 win which puts her up against Petrova.
Results (x denotes seeding):
Third round: Elena Dementieva (RUS x9) bt Marion Bartoli (FRA x5) 6-4, 7-5; Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Jelena Jankovic (SRB x2) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; Anna Chakvetadze (RUS x3) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 6-4, 6-4; Nadia Petrova (RUS x4) bt Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 6-3, 7-6 (12/10); Sania Mirza (IND) bt Dinara Safina (RUS x8) 6-1, 6-2; Maria Sharapova (RUS x1) bt Tatiana Golovin (FRA x13) 6-0, 6-3; Patty Schnyder (SUI x11) bt Martina Hingis (SUI x7) 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3; Venus Williams (US x10) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x6) 6-0, 6-3.
WASHINGTON: US top seed Andy Roddick fired 23 aces to outlast Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 and reach the ATP Washington Classic quarter-finals on Thursday along with fellow seeds Tommy Haas and Marat Safin.
Roddick lost the last five games of the second set, his serve broken twice, and struggled through the third, rescuing a break point in the fifth game and two in the ninth, the second when Stepanek sent a backhand wide.
Stepanek, who fired 20 aces, was two points from forcing a tie-breaker in the final game but sent a forehand long to hand Roddick a match point and netted a forehand to fall after one hour and 50 minutes.
German second seed Haas continued his comeback, defeating American Michael Russell 6-3, 6-4. Next for Haas is US novice John Isner, who played only one ATP match before Monday. The tall Cinderella man fired 31 aces to defeat countryman Wayne Odesnik 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2).
Russian third seed Safin reached his fourth quarter-final of the year, all on hardcourts, by ousting 104th-ranked Dutchman Robin Haase 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5 after two hours and 35 minutes.
Results:
Third round: Ivo Karlovic (CRO x7) bt Vince Spadea (US) 6-2, 6-4; Paul Capdeville (CHI) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Michael Berrer (GER) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3; Tommy Haas (GER x2) bt Michael Russell (US) 6-3, 6-4; John Isner (US) bt Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2); Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR x5) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3; Andy Roddick (US x1) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5; Marat Safin (RUS x3) bt Robin Haase (NED) 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5.
SOPOT (Poland): Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals of the Prokom Open on Thursday after top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko retired with a foot injury while trailing 2-6, 6-3, 2-1.
Davydenko easily captured the first set before aggravating a left foot injury he suffered in the first round. The 26-year-old Russian received medical attention before deciding to retire.
Results:
Second round: Albert Montanes (ESP) bt Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x1) 2-6, 6-3, 2-1 – retired; Stefan Koubek (AUT) bt Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Tommy Robredo (ESP x2) bt Steve Darcis (BEL) 1-6, 6-0, 7-5.
—Agencies
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