Ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova was upset 6-4 3-6 6-1 by Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko, another shock in the first round of the US Open.
The Slovak made 32 unforced errors as she suffered her earliest exit at Flushing Meadows since she lost on her debut in 2001.
"I felt fine here," Hantuchova said. "I felt very good. Today was just one of those things that is hard to understand." Read more »
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Out of WTA players there are Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova, Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic, and Maria Kirilenko.
Everyone except Serena Williams was annoyed by today’s continual rain in Wimbledon. If there hadn’t been rain delay in the middle of her fourth round match against tenth seed Daniela Hantuchova, Serena would have had to say goodbye to Wimbledon. But since the rain gave her a much needed break, she was able to recover from her injury and come back to defeat the Slovakian 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-2.
After the former champion had sealed the victory she looked at the sky and blew a kiss in gratitude toward the weather.
Here’s what Williams said after her fantastic win: Read more »
Tenth seed Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova is prepared to improve her score over two-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams.
The last and only time the two players met at Wimbledon was in the 2002 quarterfinals and the American won in straight sets 6-3 6-2. Five years later, Hantuchova is ready for a different outcome since she’s no longer cowed by the reputation of her opponent.
"I think I need to step up my game to beat her but I'm looking forward to the match. I think I've got a good chance," said world No. 12 Slovakian. Read more »
Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia defeated the Ukranian eighth seed Alona Bondarenko 6-2 6-1. Due to rain, the match was suspended for a few hours in the second set, with Jankovic leading 4-1. “It is not easy to wait for a few hours. Fortunately I could focus again from the start,” world No. 3 Jankovic said.
This was the seventh time Jankovic and Bondarenko faced each other, and Jankovic has increased her lead to 7-0.
Number four seed Dinara Safina beat Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 6-1 7-5.
FIRST SEMIFINAL: Jankovic vs. Safina >> Head-to-head 1-1, never played against each other on grass.
Third seed Anna Chakvetadze beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-2, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova overcame second-seeded Ana Ivanovic in straight sets 6-3 6-1. Ivanovic was broken in the seventh game and thereafter never performed to anything like her usual standard.
SECOND SEMIFINAL: Chakvetadze vs. Hantuchova >> In their head-to-heads Hantuchova leads 2-1, but they have never met on grass.
(source: Ordina Open, photos: Getty Images)
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