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| April 14, 2006 | Friday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 15, 1427 |
Tennis: Kuznetsova and Petrova advance into 2nd round
CHARLESTON, April 13: Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova shook off the effects of a hip injury to cruise past American Meghann Shaughnessy in the second round of the Family Circle Cupon Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Russian, in her first match since suffering an abductor strain in a loss to Francesca Schiavone on Saturday, won 6-0 6-1 to book a place against Spain's Lourdes Dominguez-Lino in the next round.
“I didn't play for three days, so it's pretty hard to go out there,” the fourth seed told reporters.
“I was still really surprised with the result but I was focused on every ball and just was, I guess, consistent.”
Kuznetsova hinted earlier in the week that she might have to withdraw, but the 2004 U.S. Open champion moved well on the clay and marked the winning point with a celebratory jump.
“Hopefully it's going to get better,” she said.
Second seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia, the winner last week at Amelia Island, moved on with a 6-1 0-6 6-2 victory over Ukrainian qualifier Alona Bondarenko.
French eighth seed Nathalie Dechy, who has been struggling to recover from a December knee injury, had a tough time with 16-year-old Georgian Anna Tatishvili but won 7-5 6-4 and will play Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik.
“For the moment, at least on the fitness side, I'm getting really close to peak,” Dechy said. “And on the tennis side, I just want to get better every day and I'm not thinking about that. I just want to enjoy it and hit some balls.”
Unseeded Karolina Sprem of Croatia downed Jamea Jackson of the U.S. in three sets and will play top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Italy's Mara Santangelo got by American Jill Craybas 6-4 7-6 (5) and will play third seeded Patty Schnyder.
Qualifier Julia Vakulenko of the Ukraine eliminated 10th seeded Jelena Jankovic on Tuesday and followed that with a 6-1 6-2 victory over unseeded Antonella Serra Zanetti to set up a match against seventh seeded Dinara Safina.
Results: 14-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Julia Schruff (Germany) 6-4 6-0; 2-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-1 0-6 6-2; Karolina Sprem (Croatia) beat Jamea Jackson (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 6-2; 4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) 6-0 6-1; 16-Mara Santangelo (Italy) beat Jill Craybas (U.S.) 6-4 7-6(5); 6-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) beat Virginia Ruano (Spain) 6-1 6-4; 9-Anabel Medina (Spain) beat Neha Uberoi (U.S.) 6-3 6-4; Julia Vakulenko (Ukraine) beat Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) 6-1 6-2; 8-Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Anna Tatishvili (Georgia) 7-5 6-4; 12-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 6-4 6-3; 11-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 6-3 6-1
SAFIN IN LAST EIGHT
VALENCIA: Argentine second seed Gaston Gaudio will play Marat Safin in the quarter-finals of the Valencia Open after beating Florian Mayer of Germany 6-4 6-2 on Thursday.
Russian wild card Safin, who beat last year's winner Igor Andreev in the first round, brushed aside Serbian Boris Pashanski 6-2 6-2 in just 55 minutes to advance to his first quarter-final of the year.
Results: 2-Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat Florian Mayer (Germany) 6-4 6-2; Marat Safin (Russia) beat Boris Pasanski (Serbia and Montenegro) 6-2 6-2; Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Bjoern Phau (Germany) 6-2 6-1; 6-Filippo Volandri (Italy) beat Tomas Zib (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-4
Houston results
Round Two
1-Andy Roddick (U.S.) beat Oliver Marach (Austria) 6-3 6-4; 5-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Alexander Waske (Germany) 6-1 7-6(7)
Round One
4-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat Jesse Witten (U.S.) 6-4 7-6(2); Marcos Daniel (Brazil) beat 6-Luis Horna (Peru) 6-3 6-4; 7-Paul Goldstein (U.S.) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia and Montenegro) 6-3 6-3.—Agencies
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