Dementieva Wins Battle of The Elenas
22nd June 2006
Top seed Elena Dementieva won her first grass court match of the season over fellow countrywman and homonym Elena Vesnina, in a three setter battle for a quarterfinal spot.
The oldest of the Russians, Dementieva, sailed away with the first set fairly easily claiming it 6-1. But after that, some lapses of concentration, as she later acknowldeged to have, saw her fall behind 1-4 in the second set as Vesnina started finding her game on the lawns of s’Hertogenbosch, Holland. Dementieva still managed to grab three more games and level the set at 4 all, but Vesnina wasn’t letting her chance go away and eventually claimed the second set 6-4.
“It’s amazing how quick the situation can change, you have to be focused on every single point.” Dementieva told reporters about her second set loss.
In the third set, players traded breaks early on but then Dementieva showed her class and stepped it up to go up 5-2. Vesnina still managed to steal a pair of games away but in the end the strict Russian hierarchy spoke louder and Dementieva closed the day 6-1, 4-6 and 6-4.
“It wasn’t easy. I played my first grasscourt match and it just takes time to adjust to the surface,” Dementieva told reporters
Next up for the Muscovite will be Serbian sensation Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic ousted Iveta Benesova on court 1 in a two set match that ended 6-3 and 7-5. They will now face off for the second time this year and also the second time in their careers. Their inaugural match was back in Indian Wells in March, when Elena went all the way into the final before losing to Maria Sharapova. They met in the quarterfinal stage, which Elena won in a coming-from-behind win 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
“Tomorrow it will be very important for me to hold my serve,” Dementieva said. “It’s all about holding serve. If you can hold serve, it’s going to be a tie-breaker match.”
Dementieva will most certainly try to claim this tune-up event for Wimbledon after having fell short in 2002 at the hands of Eleni Daniilidou in three sets.
Elena is also through in doubles. She and partner Flavia Pennetta defeated the wildcard entry of Jelena Jankovic and Tina Krizan in three sets: 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. The number two seeds will now play the beautiful team of Maria Kirilenko and Ana Ivanovic. The fifth day of the Ordina Open will then be the day for Elena Dementieva and Ana Ivanovic since they are meeting twice in the same day at crucial stages of two events.
Dementieva will start her match with Ivanovic at 12.00 local time, as first match on centre court.
Other winners include home darling Michaella Krajicek who ousted defending campion Klara Koukalova from Czech Republic. Krajicek will now play Jankovic, while Dinara Safina will play tour veteran Brenda Schultz-McCarthy. In a match of unseeded players, blackhorses Eleni Daniilidou and Paola Suarez will square off for a semifinal berth.
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