Dementieva ends dream run for Polish teenager
5th May 2006
World number 9, and number three seed this week, Elena Dementieva put to an end an already impressive run by Polish teenager Agnieska Radwanska in a three set marathon 5:7; 6:3; 6:1.
Radwanska felt in her skin what most players feel when playing a three set versus Dementieva. After going neck-to-neck until 5-5, Radwanska managed to grab the decisive break to take the first set away by seven games to five.
But Dementieva had just found her groove. After heating up during the first set she raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set. After that both players went with serve until Elena finally closed the second set by six games to three. Radwanska must have felt at this point that she might have made the worst mistake you can possibly do against Dementieva on a tennis court – play a third set!
Again the Russian blonde fired her way to a 5-0 lead, before dropping a game. After that it was game, set and match for Elena, who once again proved she rules three setters.
Next up for Elena is Kim Clijsters. The Belgian dismissed Italian Francesca Schiavone with a double 6:4, after trailing 3-0 first set. In the head-to-head versus Clijsters things have looked worse for the Russian, although they still aren’t too pleasing. The Belgian leads the series 9-3, with the Russia claiming two of the last four matches, including a Fed Cup rubber two weeks ago in Liege, Belgium. This year the players are tied at one win a piece with Clijsters’ win coming in three sets in Antwerp earlier in the year. Should Elena advance it will mark her third final of the season after claiming Tokyo [Pan Pacific Open] and finishing runner-up in Indian Wells to Maria Sharapova.
Other results on Friday include a battle of teens between Ana Ivanovic and Anna Chakvetadze, with the last emerging victorious in a three set win 4:6; 6:2; 6:4. Svetlana Kuznetsova sent packing former Warsaw champion Venus Williams in a quite one-sided match that ended 6:4; 6:2.
This is the 11th edition of the J&S Cup. In its first seven years it was held as either a Tier III or Tier IV event. The tournament was elevated to Tier II status in 2003, with winners since then being Mauresmo (2003), Williams (2004) and Henin-Hardenne (2005). This year’s champion takes home $95,500, while the runner-up pockets $51,000.
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