Schnyder Eliminates Dementieva; Plays Sharapova for Championship

Eleventh-seeded Patty Schnyder withstood Elena Dementieva’s first set comeback and scored an impressive 7-6 (4), 6-0, victory over the Russian to advance to the Acura Classic singles final.

Schnyder, who is playing in the Acura Classic for the fifth time, will attempt to win her 11th career tour title as she faces top-seeded Maria Sharapova in Sunday’s final scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the La Costa Resort and Spa.

After losing serve in an 18-point game  to open the match, Schnyder regrouped and won five of the next seven games to take a 5-3 lead. Dementieva mounted a comeback and won the next two games to tie the set at 5-5.

After Schnyder held serve to go up 6-5, Dementieva easily held at love to send the set to a tiebreak.

Early in the tiebreak, Schnyder hit two forehand winners and took advantage of a double fault and two unforced errors from Dementieva to take a 5-0 lead. Once again, Dementieva came back and won four straight points to close in at 5-4.

Dementieva hit a backhand down the line wide to give Schnyder a set point. The Russian served to stay in the set, but double faulted to hand the set to Schnyder.

Schnyder got off to a fast start in the second set as Dementieva committed three double faults and dropped serve after a 14-point game. Schnyder would go on to take a 5-0 lead as she held serve at love twice and broke Dementieva’s serve two more times.

Serving for the match at 5-0, Schnyder went up 40-0, but Dementieva put up her toughest stand of the match as she bravely fought off six match points. Ultimately, on the 20th point of the game and the seventh match point, Schnyder served out the match.

Schnyder converted on six of 12 break point opportunities during the match, which took one-hour and 43 minutes. Dementieva finished the match with 10 double faults.Schnyder now leads Dementieva 7-6 in career head-to-head meetings.

• Schnyder is ranked 17th in the world.
• Schnyder’s 2007 match record improves to 32-15.
• Schnyder has been ranked as high as 7th in the world (Nov. 2005).
• Schnyder reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2004.
• Dementieva is ranked 15 in the world.
• Dementieva is now 25-11 in 2007.
• Dementieva was making her seventh consecutive Acura Classic appearance.
• Dementieva has won seven career tour singles titles.
• Dementieva reached the finals of Roland Garros and the US Open in 2004.

For more match summaries, please click here.