Top seed fails to recapture hot spot
Disappointed: Jelena Jankovic of Serbia reacts after missing a shot against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia during the quarter-final match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament. Picture: AFP
Saturday, September 20, 2008
JELENA JANKOVIC was bundled out of the Pan Pacific Open in a 2-6 7-5 7-5 defeat by Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in Friday's quarter-finals.
The loss ended the Serb's hopes of recapturing the world number one ranking from Serena Williams this week following her recent loss to the American in U.S. Open final.
Olympic champion Elena Dementieva became the sixth of the tournament's top eight seeds to bow out of the Tokyo event as the Russian was upset 6-3 6-4 by Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik.
Jankovic tore through the first setand
both players struggled for consistency in the decider .
A double fault gave Kuznetsova a 6-5 lead and the Russian's nerve held as she closed out proceedings with a kicking serve and a sharp backhand drop volley after almost three hours.
"I knew I had to take risks in the third set," the former U.S. Open champion told reporters after beating Jankovic for the fourth time in six meetings.
"She made a few double-faults on important points. I guess she was scared because I was attacking.
"In Russia we say if you don't take risks you don't drink champagne."
Jankovic, who had fumed at the chair umpire and yelled at herself as her game began to unravel, was still in a black mood an hour after the match.
"I'm frustrated," she said. "I was unlucky on a couple of big points. It just wasn't my day." Kuznetsova will face Srebotnik in Saturday's semis.
Meanwhile, Nadia Petrova sprung her second surprise in 24 hours by beating sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-3 6-0.
Reuters
The loss ended the Serb's hopes of recapturing the world number one ranking from Serena Williams this week following her recent loss to the American in U.S. Open final.
Olympic champion Elena Dementieva became the sixth of the tournament's top eight seeds to bow out of the Tokyo event as the Russian was upset 6-3 6-4 by Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik.
Jankovic tore through the first setand
both players struggled for consistency in the decider .
A double fault gave Kuznetsova a 6-5 lead and the Russian's nerve held as she closed out proceedings with a kicking serve and a sharp backhand drop volley after almost three hours.
"I knew I had to take risks in the third set," the former U.S. Open champion told reporters after beating Jankovic for the fourth time in six meetings.
"She made a few double-faults on important points. I guess she was scared because I was attacking.
"In Russia we say if you don't take risks you don't drink champagne."
Jankovic, who had fumed at the chair umpire and yelled at herself as her game began to unravel, was still in a black mood an hour after the match.
"I'm frustrated," she said. "I was unlucky on a couple of big points. It just wasn't my day." Kuznetsova will face Srebotnik in Saturday's semis.
Meanwhile, Nadia Petrova sprung her second surprise in 24 hours by beating sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-3 6-0.
Reuters
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