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Kleybanova storms into semifinals
Source: Agencies |
February 27, 2010, Saturday
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FOURTH-SEEDED Alisa Kleybanova of Russia came back from a set down yesterday to defeat Anastasia Rodionova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the Malaysian Open.
Rodionova, who gave up her Russian nationality to become an Australian citizen in December, started brightly before wilting in the sun at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort in Kuala Lumpur.
She was also involved in a running argument with the chair umpire and line judges, allowing her frustrations to affect her game.
Kleybanova, who wrapped up the match in two hours and 32 minutes, will now play unseeded Japanese Ayumi Morita, who defeated South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 40 minutes.
The 19-year-old Morita, who is in her first WTA semifinal, will seek to avenge her loss to Kleybanova, who beat her in their only meeting four months ago at the Tokyo Open.
A sudden thunderstorm suspended play in the third quarterfinal where sixth-seeded Sybille Bammer of Austria was leading Chinese Taipei's Chang Kai-chen 6-3, 3-6, 4-1.
Top-seeded Olympic champion Elena Dementieva of Russia was facing Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova in the last match latery.
In Dubai, world No. 2 Novak Djokovic fought back from a set down to beat Croat Ivan Ljubicic 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 at the Dubai Championships on Thursday, becoming only the second seed to make it through to the last four.
The holder's victory restored some luster to a tournament already nursing the early exit of five seeded players and the withdrawal of top-ranked Roger Federer and former US Open champion Andy Roddick.
"(It was) a very slow start for me," said Djokovic, 22, whose win set up a semifinal with Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who beat Michael Berrer of Germany 7-6 (5), 6-1.
"I think he (Ljubicic) is serving as well as anybody on the tour right now," added Djokovic. "So I was just waiting for my opportunities and when I faced them I used them."
Ljubicic, 30, powered through the first set, dropping only two points on serve and breaking Djokovic twice.
The Serb upped his game in the second, hitting a series of unreturnable serves and increasingly moving into the net.
The turning point came at 3-3 when Djokovic saved two break points, the second one after a Ljubicic lob went well wide. Djokovic then converted his first break point of the match as a wild Ljubicic forehand gave the Serb the second set.
The 2008 Australian Open champion romped through the final set.
Austrian Juergen Melzer beat sixth seed Marin Cilic 7-6 (8), 7-5 to set up a semifinal with Mikhail Youzhny after the Russian defeated Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-4.
In Acapulco, Mexico, top-seeded Fernando Verdaso was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open on Thursday by Juan Monaco, while women's No. 1 seed Venus Williams fought back from 1-5 down in the final set to survive.
Monaco of Argentina beat top-seeded Verdasco of Spain 7-5, 6-3.
Williams had a harder-than-expected struggle against Spanish qualifier Laura Pous Tio, finally winning 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Pous Tio is ranked No. 399 and Williams is No. 5.
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