French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and her fellow Russian Elena Dementieva won their opening round matches at the Sydney International Sunday, one of the major lead-up events to the Australian Open.
Venus Williams will play Vera Zvonareva in the final of the WTA Championships after both women achieved difficult three-set victories on Saturday. Wimbledon champion Williams overcame Serbian world number one Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, and Zvonareva beat fellow-Russian Elena Dementieva 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
Svetlana Kuznetsova reached the final of the Dubai Championships by beating Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
World number nine Svetlana Kuznetsova marched into the Stuttgart Grand Prix final on Saturday, crushing fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2 in just 67 minutes.
Maria Sharapova turned a corner in her comeback by reaching the final of the Toronto Cup on Sunday only to find a long road still ahead to get back to the top.
Maria Sharapova shook off the rust to beat Japan's Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 in the first round of the Stanford Classic on Monday. Fellow Russian Elena Dementieva joined her in the second round after beating Britain's Anne Keothavong 6-1, 6-4.
Fifth seed Serena Williams reached the Family Circle Cup final by beating French teenager Alize Cornet 7-5 6-3 on Saturday. The 26-year-old next faces ninth seed Vera Zvonareva, who upset fellow-Russian Elena Dementieva, the fourth seed, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in a wildly fluctuating semi-final.
Top seed Amelie Mauresmo, second seed Kim Clijsters and number three Justine Henin-Hardenne also won their quarter-finals.
After losing a 38-stroke exchange midway through the second set, Myskina responded by cracking her racket.
A fatigued Sharapova lost to fellow-Russian Elena Dementieva while Williams was beaten Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the semi-finals of the Los Angeles Open.
Maria Sharapova's hopes of a second successive WTA Tour title ended when she was shocked by fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in the Los Angeles Open semi-finals.
The third seed best her fellow Russian 6-1, 6-2 to win her first Pacific Life Open.
Svetlana Kuznetsova powered to her first Grand Slam title by beating fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the U.S. Open.
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