French Open finalist Ana Ivanovic cruised to semi-final with a
6-4, 6-4 victory over Russian Maria Kirilenko at the Los Angeles
Classic tuning up to US Open.
Ana Ivanovic of Serbia
lunges for a backhand to Maria Kirilenko of Russia during the
quarterfinals of the Los Angeles Classic WTA tennis tournament in
Carson, California, August 10, 2007.
Kirilenko, who upset sixth-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in
the second round earlier this week, started strong and led 4-1 in
the first set when she had on-court treatment for blisters on her
right foot.
Ivanovic won the next five games to take the set, and won the
first two games of the second.
She broke again to lead 5-2 in the second set before Kirilenko
broke back and then held serve.
Ivanovic is in the midst of a career year. In addition to
becoming the first Serbian woman to reach a Grand Slam final, she
made it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
This is her first tournament since then, and in the semi-finals
she'll face either second-seeded compatriot Jelena Jankovic or
18-year-old Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Fourth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova rallied for a 6-7 (3/7),
6-4, 6-1 victory over unseeded Virginie Razzano of France to reach
the semi-finals.
Petrova will face either top-seeded Maria Sharapova or defending
champion Elena Dementieva, who were due to face off in the marquee
match of the night.
Sharapova has won five of her last six meetings with Dementieva,
including a 6-1, 6-2 rout in the final at Indian Wells in 2006.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2007)
