| Elena Dementieva (RUS) |
6 |
6 |
| Maria Kirilenko (RUS) |
2 |
2 |
Ninth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia used a steady and patient baseline game to defeat compatriot Maria Kirilenko, 6-2, 6-4, and advance to the semifinals of the Acura Classic.
In the first head-to-head meeting between the two Russians, Dementieva opened the match with a service break to take a 2-0 lead.
After Kirilenko held serve to cut the margin to 2-1, Dementieva lost only five points in winning the next three games to establish a 5-1 lead.
As Kirilenko served to stay in the first set, she hit two aces and held to make the score 5-2, but in the next game, Dementieva put the set away as she easily held serve.
Dementieva scored another service break to open the second set. However, Kirilenko made her best run of the match as she lost only two points in the next three games and broke Dementieva twice to take a 3-1 lead.
Kirilenko could not hold the momentum as Dementieva, who has represented Russia in Fed Cup, came back to break serve twice and take a 4-3 lead.
Dementieva served for a 5-3 lead, but lost her serve when she double faulted at 30-40.
Kirilenko looked to have new life in the set as she served at 4-4. At 40-30, she thought she had won the game when Dementieva’s forehand, which landed near the baseline was called out.
However Dementieva challenged the call and the ruling was reversed as Hawkeye showed the ball had caught the line. The point was replayed and the score went to deuce as Kirilenko hit a backhand in the net.
Later, on the second deuce of the game, Dementieva earned a break point when she stroked a forehand down the line winner.
On the next point, with Kirilenko at the net, Dementieva got the crowd on its feet as she hit a beautiful running forehand down the line passing shot to take a 5-4 lead.
Dementieva took a 40-15 lead as she served for the match. The match ended on the next point when Kirilenko sent her cross court forehand service return long.
- Dementieva advances to the semifinals where she will meet Patty Schnyder.
- Dementieva is ranked 15th in the world.
- Dementieva is making her seventh consecutive Acura Classic appearance. She reached the semifinals in 2004.
- Dementieva improves her 2007 match record to 25-10.
- Kirilenko is ranked 42 in the world.
- Kirilenko was making her third career Acura Classic appearance.
- Kirilenko’s 2007 match record is now 14-19.
- Kirilenko has been ranked as high as 20 in the world (June 2006).
For more match summaries, please click here.
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