Dementieva reaches French Open quarterfinals
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
PARIS, June 2 (AP): Elena Dementieva advanced Monday to the French Open quarterfinals, winning five consecutive games to start the final set and beating fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
For the No. 7-seeded Dementieva, it's the best showing at Roland Garros since she was runner-up to champion Anastasia Myskina in 2004. Dementieva closed out the victory by smacking a backhand winner, then celebrated with a whirling leap and a yelp.
The 11th-seeded Zvonareva committed 41 unforced errors and grew increasingly frustrated as the final set slipped away. After falling behind 3-0, she pounded the clay with her racket three times - forehand, backhand and forehand.
Dementieva and Zvonareva were among five Russian women in the final 16.
On Sunday, three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal returned to the quarterfinals by beating fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-0, 6-2.
Seeded second behind Roger Federer, Nadal is bidding to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win a fourth consecutive French Open title. On Tuesday - Nadal's 22nd birthday - he'll play yet another Spaniard, childhood chum Nicolas Almagro, who beat Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-5.
For the No. 7-seeded Dementieva, it's the best showing at Roland Garros since she was runner-up to champion Anastasia Myskina in 2004. Dementieva closed out the victory by smacking a backhand winner, then celebrated with a whirling leap and a yelp.
The 11th-seeded Zvonareva committed 41 unforced errors and grew increasingly frustrated as the final set slipped away. After falling behind 3-0, she pounded the clay with her racket three times - forehand, backhand and forehand.
Dementieva and Zvonareva were among five Russian women in the final 16.
On Sunday, three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal returned to the quarterfinals by beating fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-0, 6-2.
Seeded second behind Roger Federer, Nadal is bidding to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win a fourth consecutive French Open title. On Tuesday - Nadal's 22nd birthday - he'll play yet another Spaniard, childhood chum Nicolas Almagro, who beat Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-5.