Safina beats Jankovic to reach final
Monday, 28 July 2008
CARSON (California), July 27 (AP): Dinara Safina stopped Jelena Jankovic's quest to take the world's No.1 ranking and swept into the final of the East West Bank Classic with a straight-sets victory Saturday.
The Russian won 7-6 (3), 6-1 to set up a final against Italian Flavia Pennetta, who was a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 winner over unseeded American Bethanie Mattek in the other semifinal.
"It was another great match," said Safina, who let a 4-2 lead get away in the first set but won five of the final six points in the tiebreaker and dominated the second set. "I stayed aggressive and didn't let down."
Jankovic would have taken the No. 1 ranking from Serb compatriot Ana Ivanovic had she won this tournament.
"Hopefully, my time will come," Jankovic said. "It's not the end of the world." Jankovic, who is recovering from a knee injury she suffered at Wimbledon, said she had only four days of practice before opening play in Carson.
"Just to be able to play this tournament for me was very exciting because I was supposed to be out for quite a long time," she said.
"She was the better player today," Jankovic said. "I had some chances. I played a bad tiebreaker. I made a lot of errors and let some opportunities go. In the second set, for some reason I couldn't run anymore. I was tired and my legs were shaking. I didn't have the power to continue."
Safina, who will move from No. 9 to No. 8 in the WTA Tour rankings regardless of how she does in the final, will be looking for her second title of the year and seventh overall. This will be her fourth final in her past five events, including the French Open.
The Russian won 7-6 (3), 6-1 to set up a final against Italian Flavia Pennetta, who was a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 winner over unseeded American Bethanie Mattek in the other semifinal.
"It was another great match," said Safina, who let a 4-2 lead get away in the first set but won five of the final six points in the tiebreaker and dominated the second set. "I stayed aggressive and didn't let down."
Jankovic would have taken the No. 1 ranking from Serb compatriot Ana Ivanovic had she won this tournament.
"Hopefully, my time will come," Jankovic said. "It's not the end of the world." Jankovic, who is recovering from a knee injury she suffered at Wimbledon, said she had only four days of practice before opening play in Carson.
"Just to be able to play this tournament for me was very exciting because I was supposed to be out for quite a long time," she said.
"She was the better player today," Jankovic said. "I had some chances. I played a bad tiebreaker. I made a lot of errors and let some opportunities go. In the second set, for some reason I couldn't run anymore. I was tired and my legs were shaking. I didn't have the power to continue."
Safina, who will move from No. 9 to No. 8 in the WTA Tour rankings regardless of how she does in the final, will be looking for her second title of the year and seventh overall. This will be her fourth final in her past five events, including the French Open.