Stosur into Eastbourne semis
Source: Agencies |
June 18, 2010, Friday
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THIRD-SEEDED Samantha Stosur beat Britain's Elena Baltacha 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-0 at the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament yesterday to reach her fifth semifinal of the year.
French Open finalist Stosur netted a backhand volley to hand Baltacha the first set in the tiebreak but the Australian player was more aggressive in the second and third sets.
Stosur, who made the Eastbourne semifinals in 2008, hit 18 winners in the second set and allowed Baltacha just six points in the opening four games.
The early games of the third set were closely contested but Stosur pulled clear and closed out her final service game with three aces.
Baltacha had beaten China's Zheng Jie 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 on Wednesday to set up the encounter with Stosur
Also, Kim Clijsters surged into the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Lucie Safarova.
The Belgium former world No. 1, preparing for her first Wimbledon since 2006 after coming out of retirement last year, was in scintillating form in the seaside sunshine, making light work of her Czech opponent.
"It was a good one, wasn't it?," Clijsters told reporters. "It's a good sign, a good feeling.
"I'm playing good tennis, that's the most important thing. It's important not to be too tired. I want to keep this level. I've played two matches well, I want to keep that going, I want to stay mentally focused."
Clijsters, who has never got past the semifinals at Wimbledon, was facing Victoria Azarenka of Belarus yesterday after she easily beat British qualifier Heather Watson.
Former US Open and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, bidding to rediscover some form before Wimbledon, survived an epic tussle against Romania's Sorana Cirstea, winning 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).
Kuznetsova was taking on fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the quarterfinals.
In the men's event, Britain's James Ward, who had earlier eliminated second seed Feliciano Lopez, overcame Germany's Rainer Schuettler 6-3, 7-5.
Top seed Nicolas Almagro bowed out, retiring when a set down against Denis Istomin.
In Rosmalen, the Netherlands? top-seeded Justine Henin advanced to the quarterfinals of the Unicef Open on Wednesday in her first grasscourt tournament in three years.
Henin, the Belgian who began a 20-month retirement in May 2008, beat Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-3, 6-3 in their second-round match.
Fifth-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania also secured a place in the last eight of the women's draw, with a win over Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
In the men's competition on Wednesday, third-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain lost to German Simon Greul 1-6, 4-6, and Colombia's Santiago Giraldo knocked out fourth-seeded Serb Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-4.
Defending champion Benjamin Becker of Germany, seeded eighth, made it through by beating Henri Kontinen of Finland 6-2, 6-1.
French Open finalist Stosur netted a backhand volley to hand Baltacha the first set in the tiebreak but the Australian player was more aggressive in the second and third sets.
Stosur, who made the Eastbourne semifinals in 2008, hit 18 winners in the second set and allowed Baltacha just six points in the opening four games.
The early games of the third set were closely contested but Stosur pulled clear and closed out her final service game with three aces.
Baltacha had beaten China's Zheng Jie 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 on Wednesday to set up the encounter with Stosur
Also, Kim Clijsters surged into the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Lucie Safarova.
The Belgium former world No. 1, preparing for her first Wimbledon since 2006 after coming out of retirement last year, was in scintillating form in the seaside sunshine, making light work of her Czech opponent.
"It was a good one, wasn't it?," Clijsters told reporters. "It's a good sign, a good feeling.
"I'm playing good tennis, that's the most important thing. It's important not to be too tired. I want to keep this level. I've played two matches well, I want to keep that going, I want to stay mentally focused."
Clijsters, who has never got past the semifinals at Wimbledon, was facing Victoria Azarenka of Belarus yesterday after she easily beat British qualifier Heather Watson.
Former US Open and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, bidding to rediscover some form before Wimbledon, survived an epic tussle against Romania's Sorana Cirstea, winning 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4).
Kuznetsova was taking on fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the quarterfinals.
In the men's event, Britain's James Ward, who had earlier eliminated second seed Feliciano Lopez, overcame Germany's Rainer Schuettler 6-3, 7-5.
Top seed Nicolas Almagro bowed out, retiring when a set down against Denis Istomin.
In Rosmalen, the Netherlands? top-seeded Justine Henin advanced to the quarterfinals of the Unicef Open on Wednesday in her first grasscourt tournament in three years.
Henin, the Belgian who began a 20-month retirement in May 2008, beat Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-3, 6-3 in their second-round match.
Fifth-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania also secured a place in the last eight of the women's draw, with a win over Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
In the men's competition on Wednesday, third-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain lost to German Simon Greul 1-6, 4-6, and Colombia's Santiago Giraldo knocked out fourth-seeded Serb Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-4.
Defending champion Benjamin Becker of Germany, seeded eighth, made it through by beating Henri Kontinen of Finland 6-2, 6-1.
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