Eighth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia beat third-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 5-7 6-3 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

The match was very close. Both players faced many break points. World No.2 Ivanovic was the first to be a break up in the deciding third set. However, she wasted that opportunity, as well as the fact that she could come back in the game when Dementieva was serving for the match, as she saved astonishing five match points.

In the semifinals, world No.11 Elena Dementieva plays unseeded Francesca Schiavone, who upset Justine Henin, previously unbeatable in Dubai. The other semifinal features Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jelena Jankovic. (photo via Getty Images)

At the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, top seed and defending champion Justine Henin had to work really hard to overcome Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik 7-5 6-7(6) 6-3, while Ana Ivanovic confidently defeated Nicole Vaidisova 6-4 6-0.

Belgian world No.1 Justine Henin, who won the tournament in Dubai four times in five years, was pushed hard in her opening match on Wednesday. World No.28 Srebotnik lost the first set after a tough battle, and one could have easily expected that being disappointed she would lose the second set much easier. But that was not the case. Srebotnik continued to fight and took the match to the third set. The decider was also very close, and nuances decided the winner. After three hours, Henin advanced to the quarterfinals where she'll meet Francesca Schiavone. Read more »

Ana Ivanovic injured her ankle last week in Doha, in her second round match with Olga Govortsova, while only two points away from advancing to the third round. In the latest diary entry on her official website, Ivanovic gave us an update on the injury, while also telling us her feelings and her perspective on it.

The 20-year-old said that injuring her ankle was the most painful thing that happened to her on the tennis court, but it made her a more experienced player and also lifted her confidence as she's now proud of herself for finishing and winning the match despite the pain.

Sustaining an injury at that point was very frustrating, as Ivanovic felt exceptionally physically prepared for the tournament. However, she’s also happy as it could have been a lot worse, and she is aware of the fact it’s a normal part of being a professional athlete.

Even though her ankle is much better now, Ivanovic is yet to determine whether she'll play on Wednesday in Dubai, where she’s seeded third.

Ana Ivanovic beat world No.50 Olga Govortsova 6-3, 6-1 to move into the third round of the Qatar Total Open, but the top seed’s victory was accompanied with what seemed to be quite a serious ankle injury.

At the moment Ivanovic was only two points from victory, she fell and twisted her ankle. The world number three lay on the court with tears in her eyes and the face expression that suggested she was in great pain. However, after receiving a medical timeout, Ivanovic decided to try to finish the match, and she was fortunate to be able to finish it very quickly.

Olga Govortsova seems to be bringing bad luck to her opponents. The Belorussian advanced to the second round as India's Sania Mirza retired with cramps.

It’s likely that Ana Ivanovic won’t continue her participation at the Qatar Total Open. If this happens, it would be a pity, as Ivanovic is top-seeded at a tournament for the first time in her career. But of course, it's more important to think in advance, and withdraw from the tournament in order not to risk making the injury even worse. (photo via Getty Images)

The draw for the 2008 Fed Cup World Group and World Group II play-offs was announced and it was determined that Croatia will face Serbia in April’s World Group II play-offs. Croatian captain Goran Prpic didn’t hide his disappointment and said that that was the worst draw for them as Serbia currently has the strongest Fed Cup team in the world. Read more »