The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Kuznetsova beats Mauresmo

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Kuznetsova beats Mauresmo

DUBAI: Amelie Mauresmo’s dismal run continued when she lost in straight sets in the Dubai Open quarterfinals here on Thursday. Mauresmo lost 6-1, 7-6(4) to the second-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“I started to play better in the second set and there were times when I played some good tennis,” said Mauresmo, trying to make the best of another disappointing performance. “There were still probably a few things here and there which cost me that second set. I didn’t play the tie-break as I expected, but she came up with some good shots when she needed them.”

The defeat looked as though it was going to be heavier when Kuznetsova, striking the ball heavily and hitting some great winners, went a break up in the second set after winning the first.

Suddenly, the Russian played an indifferent service game to allow her opponent back into the game. Mauresmo, playing much better, started making serious progress for the first time. She broke for 5-3, playing with more consistency and choosing her net attacks more judiciously. Mauresmo even had a set point on her serve.

However, Kuznetsova saved that with a brilliant backhand cross-court winner, and very soon Mauresmo’s challenge evaporated.

She delivered a double fault to go break point down — which was quickly converted by another of Kuznetsova’s clumping drives — and then played a disappointing tie-break.

A backhand volley gave Kuznetsova plenty of time to make a winning backhand pass and gain a mini-break at 3-2, and after that Mauresmo seemed to lose belief in survival, quickly losing the next two points on her serve.

Sania-Schiavone lose

In the doubles quarterfinals on Wednesday, the top-seeded pair of Cara Black and Liezel Huber prevailed over Sania Mirza and Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-7(4), 12-10 in a marathon encounter.

Important results: At Memphis (Memphis championships): Second round: Men: Benjamin Becker bt Tommy Haas 3-6, 6-2, 7-5; First round: Robin Soderling bt Frederic Niemeyer 6-2, 6-1; Andy Roddick bt Gilles Muller 6-4, 7-6(4); Women: Lindsay Davenport bt Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 6-1; Shahar Peer bt Melinda Czink 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.

At Acapulco (Acapulco International championships): Second round: Nicolas Massu bt Carlos Moya 6-4, 6-2; Agustin Calleri bt Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-1; David Nalbandian bt Santiago Ventura 6-2, 6-3; Jose Acasuso bt Guillermo Canas 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

At Zagreb (ATP Zagreb indoors): Second round: Simone Bolelli bt Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3; Ivan Ljubicic bt Lovro Zovko 6-4, 7-6(3); Mario Ancic bt Denis Gremelmayr 6-3, 6-2; Janko Tipsarevic bt Roko Karanusic 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4.

At Dubai (WTA Dubai Open): Singles: Quarterfinals: Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Amelie Mauresmo 6-1, 7-6(4); Jelena Jankovic bt Anna Chakvetadze 6-1, retd.; Second round: Justine Henin bt Katarina Srebotnik 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-3; Ana Ivanovic bt Nicole Vaidisova 6-4, 6-0.

Doubles: Quarterfinals: Cara Black & Liezel Huber bt Sania Mirza & Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-7(4), 12-10. — Agencies

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