Safina marches on in Madrid

Eurosport - Thu, 14 May 08:28:00 2009

World number one Dinara Safina took a first step towards a second consecutive claycourt title by battling to a 6-3 7-6 victory over Li Na at the Madrid Open.

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Russian Safina, who had a first-round bye, had to work hard to subdue the gutsy Chinese and set up a third-round clash with unseeded Czech Lucie Safarova.

Safina won the Italian Open in Rome last weekend.

Russians Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova were beaten in Madrid.

Third seed Dementieva slipped to a 1-6 6-4 6-2 third-round defeat by former world number one Amelie Mauresmo and sixth-seeded Kuznetsova lost 6-3 6-2 to Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko in the second round.

Frenchwoman Mauresmo was joined in the last eight by Swiss Patty Schnyder, who ousted eighth seed Nadia Petrova 6-4 6-7 7-6.

Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina also reached the quarter-finals with a 6-3 4-6 6-2 win over Italy's Francesca Schiavone.

Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, 19, chasing her fourth WTA Tour title of the year, beat Peng Shuai of China 6-4 6-1 in the second round.

The seventh seed, who has won in Brisbane, Memphis and Miami, broke serve six times and will play Hungarian Agnes Szavay on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals.

Second seed Serena Williams retired from her first-round match against Schiavone on Monday with a knee injury and her sister Venus lost to Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova in the second round on Tuesday.

Reuters

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  1. Drie K come back when you have understood the language­ enough to understand a comment of concern for a young­ lady's health. Forget about the nastiness and the­ flag waving, that is your problem!

    From sanchez.santos, on Wed 13 May 11:25PM

  2. attaha.........progeria......I just can't­ understand why some people are too uptight to get your­ sense of humour, ROFLMAO

    From sanchez.santos, on Wed 13 May 10:37PM

  3. #2, she is in fact older than her age-call this­ progeria.. But to be honest we shouldn't talk so­ much about this young girl until she has made her marks­ like Hinges, Seles and the Williamses. and Sharapova.­ As it is now, it is getting late for her to make her­ marks like the aforementioned who came in straight and­ won majors.. They came in hot and won GS in straight­ entrance. Azarenka is proscratinating just like JJ and­ Safina, Dementieva, Radwanska and Lisicki.

    From Augustine A, on Wed 13 May 9:36PM

  4. Good job Vika!
    Why does Eurosport doens't broadcast­ her matches?
    After all, she's the seventh seed in­ the tounamrent!
    Instead of those matches of Dushevina­ against Schiavone ???

    From Pieter D, on Wed 13 May 8:57PM

  5. Well done Vika!
    And, though it's not a place to­ disscuss looks, you look good, as always!

    From Drie K, on Wed 13 May 8:44PM

  6. She doesn't look very well for a nineteen year old.­ I hope she's ok.

    From sanchez.santos, on Wed 13 May 6:25PM

  7. Come on Vika hope you in the final with either Amelie­ Elena or JJ.Good luck.

    From AJ, on Wed 13 May 3:25PM
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