all from
www.wtatour.com or the OS of the tourney
[glow=red,2,300]Kuznetsova Stops Hingis, Mauresmo, Sharapova Reach Fourth Round in Miami[/glow]
MIAMI, FL, USA - There will be a new NASDAQ-100 Open champion this year, as the only previous titlist remaining at the $3,450,000, Tier I event fell in a three set thriller on Sunday night in Miami.
Martina Hingis, who captured the title twice, in 1997 and in 2000, was just one point away from the round of 16 but failed to convert, falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova 36 61 76(9) in nearly two-and-a-half hours. After splitting the first two sets, the two players battled it out in a marathon third set, trading breaks of serve twice before fittingly going to a tie-break. In the end, the No.12-seeded Russian was too tough, converting on her fifth match point as Hingis hit one last unforced error wide. The No.24-seeded Swiss challenged the call with the new instant replay system, but to no avail.
"I wanted to win so badly," Kuznetsova said. "I was hanging in there. I didn't play so well, but I'm happy with the final result. You are really excited to win matches like that. I didn't play a match like this for so long, and I'm pretty excited."
"I thought it might be out, but it was very close call, so you can challenge," said Hingis, who defeated Kuznetsova in their only prior encounter a few weeks ago. "I played well. She won one point more at the end. She played a great match. The last time I played her, when I beat her in Doha, it was very close as well."
"Before the season started I was happy to win first round matches. I've beaten players in the Top 5. Other than Flavia Pennetta, I haven't lost to anyone outside the Top 10. Kuznetsova, I think she's playing better again so she'll probably be there soon. But, I know I have something to work on, and I'll try to play the next tournaments and wherever I play, just add something."
After the surprise departures of Belgians Kim Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne in the second round, there were relatively few upsets among the higher seeds during third round action on Sunday, with Top 10 seeds Amélie Mauresmo, Sharapova, Nadia Petrova, Elena Dementieva, Patty Schnyder and Anastasia Myskina all advancing through to the fourth round.
Next up for Mauresmo is Ana Ivanovic, the No.14 seed, who battled hard for a 63 57 63 victory earlier in the day against Ukrainian qualifier Alona Bondarenko. The big-hitting Serbian teenager has won her last two encounters with Mauresmo, most recently in the Frenchwoman's season debut at Sydney but also in the third round of Roland Garros last season.
"I'm really focusing on myself and what I have to do," Mauresmo added. "Obviously, each match is a tough one, and I'm playing a tough opponent in the next round. So I'm just waiting to see day after day."
Sharapova, at No.4 the highest seed remaining aside from Mauresmo, had to overcome a 5-2 second set deficit and fend off eight set points against an inspired Maria Elena Camerin, eventually toughing out a 62 76(2) victory. The Russian teenager had lost her only prior encounter against the Italian qualifier, and knew she was in for a battle when stepping out onto the court.
"She hit the ball very deep and hard and she played like she had nothing to lose," Sharapova said. "I fought for it. I did a good job of fighting at the end. When the day's not great, when you feel like you're not playing your best tennis, I still know that I can fight it out, and that's how I win a lot of my matches."
Awaiting Sharapova in the next round is good friend and compatriot Maria Kirilenko, the No.20 seed, who downed Ukrainian lucky loser Viktoriya Kutuzova 61 64 on Sunday. The two last faced each other in the semis of Beijing late last year, Sharapova retiring after going down a set and 2-1 due to a chest muscle injury. The two own one doubles title together, at Birmingham in 2004.
"It's always hard playing a friend," Sharapova added. "Last time was not a good experience for me. I was injured in Beijing and she was playing great tennis. She's a great athlete. She can definitely play the game. But that's tennis. You're gonna play your buddies once in a while."
Also winning through were Petrova (No.5), who dropped 15 points in the final two sets during a 46 60 60 defeat of American Jamea Jackson; Dementieva (No.6), who won the first 11 games during a 60 61 win over Dutch phenom Michaella Krajicek; Schnyder (No.7), who beat No.28 seed Katarina Srebotnik 76(3) 63; and Myskina (No.10), who downed Belarussian teen Victoria Azarenka 63 75.
Completing the round of 16 line-up will be No.21 seed Ai Sugiyama, No.22 seed Tatiana Golovin, No.32 seed Sofia Arvidsson, unseeded players Zheng Jie, Jill Craybas and Anna Chakvetadze, and qualifier Eleni Daniilidou. Daniilidou, a former semifinalist at this event, was responsible for the biggest upset of the day, ousting No.13 seed Daniela Hantuchova 63 46 62. Also pulling off an upset was Zheng, who stopped No.16 seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld 64 75 earlier in the day.
Sveta proved that Sandra Harwitt wrong..
edit:check out the pics at
www.wtatour.com/photogallery/..theres one with sharapova's lookalikes
,Nastya with a cockatoo,Kim and Kuzy talking about Fila and Gisela Dulko, Tommy Robredo, Marcos Baghdatis, Karolina Sprem, Ivan Ljubicic and Anabel Medina Garrigues riding dolphins
<first Justine,now Kim..what has the world come to?!?!>
<first Justine,now Kim..what has the world come to?!?!>
Sixpack guard 
