Last year’s runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the semifinals of the China Open, while Elena Dementieva fell at the same tennis complex where she won her Olympic gold medal 14 months ago.

The sixth-seeded Kuznetsova defeated fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets, 6-3 6-3, and will next face No.13 seed Nadia Petrova, who followed up her victory over soon-to-be No.1 Serena Williams with a quarterfinal win over Peng Shuai.

The Russian fourth-seeded Dementieva was upset by 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 6-3. The Pole will play 14th seed Marion Bartoli in the semis, who advanced by upsetting seventh seed Vera Zvonareva.

The 2009 China Open champion will collect $775,500. (photo: Jean-Sebastien Marceau)

Now we can stop counting… Elena Dementieva of Russia and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark have quickly joined a bunch of top players in their early Pan Pacific Open exit.

Third seed Elena Dementieva was beaten 6-2 6-7(3) 6-1 by Kateryna Bondarenko in the second round, and was soon after accompanied by fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who retired due to a viral infection, while trailing Aleksandra Wozniak 0-5 in the first set.

Dementieva had never in their four previous encounters lost a set to Kateryna Bondarenko, and she blamed bad line calls and fatigue for the outcome of today's match.

"There were way too many bad calls from the chair umpire today," said the Russian. "I'm surprised they don't have a challenge system at such a big event."

During the Pan Pacific Open here on Women’s Tennis Blog we just mentioned the numerous upsets. This time, we should give some well-deserved attention to Maria Sharapova, who almost double-bageled Samantha Stosur to enter the last 16. Stosur saved two match points at 0-5 in the second set, and lost 6-0 6-1.

Note: Just one Top 10 player, Serena Williams, didn’t enter the $2 million Tokyo event, and only two of the nine that entered the tournament have reached the third round – Jelena Jankovic and Victoria Azarenka. (source: Reuters, photo courtesy of Women Who Serve)

World No.6 Caroline Wozniacki and world No.5 Elena Dementieva join Top 2 players Dinara Safina and Serena Williams on the list of those who have qualified for the elite $4.45 million Sony Ericsson Championships in singles.

The finalist at the just-finished 2009 US Open Wozniacki will play the prestigious tournament for the first time, while Dementieva has qualified for the ninth time in her career.

The Dane and the Russian have each won three titles this year.

The season-ending Championships will take place at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, from October 27 to November 1, 2009. (photos: Ralf Reinecke, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

World No.4 Elena Dementieva has been honored in her home Russia, with the order given to citizens of high achievements. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev put the Order of Honor on the left side of Dementieva's chest.

World No.70 Melanie Oudin upset fourth seed Elena Dementieva 5-7 6-4 6-3 in the second round of the US Open.

The American 17-year-old had never before this week won a US Open match. Actually, her first wins at a Grand Slam came at this year's Wimbledon, when she impressively reached the fourth round.

Dementieva was one of the favorites for the title, but instead Oudin handed the Russian her joint-earliest ever exit at the US Open.

Oudin’s opponent in the third round will be either three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova or another US teenager Christina McHale.

Additional info: Melanie Oudin is sporting the one-of-a-kind adidas Barricade V’s (pictured) that she personally designed for her US Open campaign. (photo via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Elena Dementiva captured the 2009 Olympus US Open Series women’s title. The Russian won the Rogers Cup, and reached the semifinals of Stanford and Cincinnati.

Flavia Pennetta took the second place. The Italian was tied with Jelena Jankovic, but the Serb came in third, having won less Olympus US Open Series matches this year.

At the US Open 2009, the world No.4 Dementieva will compete for $2.6 million, the largest payout in tennis history – $1.6 million for winning the US Open and a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open and the Olympus US Open Series.

The second and third place finishers will compete for up to $500,000 and $250,000, respectively, in bonus prize money. (source: US Open series, photo: Stephane Martinache)

Elena Dementieva has won her third title of the 2009 season, after Auckland and Sydney in January, defeating Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-3 in the first ever all-Russian Rogers Cup final.

The first set wasn't impressive, featuring 14 double faults and seven breaks of serve. In the second set both players held serve until the sixth game, when Dementieva broke Sharapova for a 4-2 lead. The fourth-seeded Dementieva held her serve throughout and clinched her first Rogers Cup title and 14th career WTA Tour title.

Still, even after this loss Sharapova is leading their head-to-head series 8-3.

The world No.5 Dementieva has never won a Grand Slam title, but the triumph in Toronto might be her lucky charm as the last three Toronto champions proceeded to win the US Open - Justin Henin in 2007, Kim Clijsters in 2005 and Henin in 2003. (photo: AP via Yahoo)

Fourth seed Elena Dementieva avenged her Wimbledon loss to Serena Williams in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup, while Maria Sharapova has continued to climb back to where she belongs and despite persistent struggles with her serve, she beat Alisa Kleybanova to reach her first final in over a year.

The second-seeded Williams had faced only one break point all week, but was broken five times during the semifinal which Dementieva won 7-6(2) 6-1 to move into her fourth final of the year.

It’s amazing how the Williams sisters are unbeatable at a Grand Slam stage. Serena ended Dementieva’s hopes for her first Grand Slam title two times this year, at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the tournaments Serena eventually won.

Sharapova defeated Kleybanova 6-2 4-6 6-4, despite producing 12 double faults and converting only 5 of 22 break points. It only shows Maria's well-known strongest asset – her undying will.

Additional info: Sharapova will be seeded at the 2009 US Open, as she’ll move from No.49 to the Top 32 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings. (source: Reuters, photos via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)