Archive for: January 2009

Elena Dementieva continued her dominating form through the Quarterfinals of the 2009 Australian Open. She has yet to lose a match in 2009.

In round four, Dementieva easily defeated 18th seed, Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. In the Quarterfinals she defeated Carla Saurez-Navarro just as easily, 6-2, 6-2. The farther along she goes in the tournament, the quicker her opponents fall.

Jelena Jankovic reacts after a point in her fourth round match against Marion Bartoli of France during day seven of the 2009 Australian Open.

Jankovic reached the 4th round by defeating 26th seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Jankovic didn’t drop a set through the first three matches of the tournament. However, that’s where it ended as she was defeated by 16th seeded Marion Bartoli of France, 1-6, 4-6. Jankovic just never really got into the match.

Serbian cutie pie, Ana Ivanovic plays a return stroke during her women’s singles match against Alisa Kleybanova of Russia at the 2009 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 23, 2009. Ivanovic made it into the 3rd round with an easy straight-sets win over 169th ranked Alberta Brianti of Italy, 6-3, 6-2. Ivanovic had a straight-sets win in the first round over Julia Georges 7-5, 6-3.

Ivanovic struggled in her first two matches, especially with her serve toss. She had several dozen tosses that she just let drop because they were so far off, usually way inside.

Sexy tennis cutie pie, Serena Williams, has won her way into the Quarterfinals of the 2009 Australian Open.

Williams cruised through the first three rounds without dropping a set. In those first matches, she defeated Meng Yuan of China 6-3, 6-2, Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-3, 7-5, and Shuai Peng of China 6-1, 6-4.

Williams finally dropped a set (3-6) in the 4th round, and was up 4-2 in the 2nd set when her opponent, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, had to retire because of dizziness. Azarenka said later that she had been sick earlier that morning, and it caught up to her again on the court and she just could not continue.

No. 4 seed, Elena Dementieva, of Russia, has advanced to the fourth round of the 2009 Australian Open. She has lost only one set so far, and has been pushed to only two tie-breaks.

In round one, Dementieva defeated No. 88, Kristina Barrois of Germany, 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-1. Round two pitted her against No. 35, Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic, with Dementieva winning easily 6-4, 6-1. In round three, she won over No. 48, Samantha Stosur of Australia, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

Serbian cutie pie, Jelena Jankovic, smiles during a press conference at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia.

Jankovic is seeded No. 1 and showed her seeding is well deserved, at least in the opening round. She defeated No. 104 ranked Yvonne Meusburger of Austria , 6-1, 6-3.

Jankovic has been working hard to be in better shape. That will prove helpful in the hot, humid weather they are experiencing at Melbourne. Many players are falling victim to severe cramping during the opening round.

Russian cutie pie, Maria Kirilenko, hits a shot against Sara Errani of Italy during their match on the opening day of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 19, 2009. Errani won the match 6-0, 6-4.

It was a match-up of two closely ranked players. Kirilenko is ranked No. 30, and Errani is ranked No. 39. Kirilenko was seeded No. 27, and Errani was unseeded.

Other featured cutie pies who lost in the first round include:

• No. 52 ranked Nicole Vaidisova of Germany, defeated by No. 96 ranked Severine Bremond of France, 2-6, 1-6.

Elena Dementieva celebrates after winning match point against countrywoman Dinara Safina in the finals of the 2009 WTA Medibank International in Sidney Australia on Jan. 11.

Dementieva has been pushed to a third set only twice this year through two entire tournaments. She won the ASB Classic without dropping a set. After Safina pushed her to a third set in this tournament, Dementieva won the third set in convincing style. Set scores were 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

Dementieva is on a roll this year. She heads into the Australian Open seeded 4th. The way she has played so far this year, she will be the one to beat.

Russian cutie pie, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, made it through to the quarterfinals of the 2009 Moorilla Hobart International being played in Hobart, Australia. In that match, she lost in a close 3-set match to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 5-7, 3-6.

In reaching the quarterfinals, Pavlyuchenkova had wins over Olivia Rogowska, 6-3, 6-1, and Carla Suarex-Navarro of Spain, 6-4, 6-1.

That should be good preparation for Pavlyuchenkova’s first appearance in the Australian Open.

Serena Williams of the United States reacts during her match against Australia’s Samantha Stosur on day one of the Sydney International on January 11, 2009. Williams won that close 3-set match 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5.

Williams then went on to defeat Sara Errani of Italy, (6-1, 6-2), and Danish cutie pie, Caroline Wozniacki, in very close 3-set match, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

That set up semifinal match with Russian cutie pie, Elena Dementieva. That’s where the streak ended for Williams as she was defeated in straight sets by Dementieva, 3-6, 1-6.