Dementieva, Szavay into Paris tennis quarters
PARIS (AFP) — Fourth-seed Elena Dementieva got her campaign off to a shaky start before advancing past Czech qualifier Petra Kvitova and into the quarter-finals of the WTA Paris Indoor Open here on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old Muscovite struggled with her serve but held on for a hard fought 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 win against her 17-year-old opponent ranked just 152 in the world.
Seventh seed Agnes Szavay of Hungary also advanced to the quarter-finals, but needed two hours to get past Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
"It wasn't easy, she played well today. She came through the qualifiers and won four matches which means she's in good form," said Dementieva, who had received a first round bye.
"For me it's always complicated to play against a left hander. At the start I had some problems with her serve. But after winning the first set I was more confident."
Dementieva, who reaches the quarter-finals here for the fourth time in six attempts, next plays the winner of the all-Ukrainian tie between Kateryna Bondarenko and Yuliana Fedak.
But the biggest obstacle to her ninth WTA title and first this year she believes will be Amelie Mauresmo who ousted her in her only semi-final appearance here in 2003, the year the Frenchwoman went on to win the title.
"Amelie had a really good first round match, she's playing really well. I think she's regained her confidence and will be very dangerous."
Szavay, 19, will next play the winner of the tie between second seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik.
Earlier Nathalie Dechy, Virginie Razzano and Alize Cornet helped ease their country's Fed Cup misery by advancing to the second round.
Dechy ousted China's Peng Shuai in straight sets as Razzano needed three sets to get past eighth-seeded Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine.
Peng, 22, had been a key player in China's 3-2 World Group success over France at the weekend when she gave the hosts their first point with a surprise win over Razzano in Beijing.
But the French proved they are masters at home with Dechy beating Peng 6-4, 7-6 (10/8), and Razzano coming away 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 winner at the Pierre de Coubertin stadium.
They were later joined by teenager Cornet who got past Czech qualifier Klara Zakopalova 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
"It was revenge even if it doesn't make up for the defeat at the weekend," said Dechy, who came back from 1-6 down in the tie-break to claim victory in just under two hours.
The 28-year-old Dechy next meets top-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze, the recipient of a first round bye.
Razzano, meanwhile, had a tougher time getting past Bondarenko despite coasting through the first set.
She received courtside treatment for her aching back and thigh muscles twice in the third set before achieving her first win in three meetings with the Ukrainian after just over two hours.
"I obviously feel very tired. I had three big matches this weekend," said Razzano. "I'm satisfied and proud of myself to have won despite the suffering."
She next meets Cornet, 18, who also needed two hours to advance to the second round for the first time after making her debut last year.
