Aug 12: Sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva waited through two rain delays totaling three and a half hours to pull off a come-from-behind victory over Maria Kirilenko in the Cincinnati Women’s Open.
The two Russians needed a total of six hours, 54 minutes to complete their match. Zvonareva won 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), seizing the victory after a rain delay of two hours and 19 minutes that came with the 28th-ranked Kirilenko leading 5-2 in the third set. “I always believe in myself,” Zvonareva said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m down 5-0, I think I can win it.”
Zvonareva is scheduled to face 11th-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the third round.
Third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva became the highest seed to be sent packing as she fell to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-3 in another all-Russian clash. “I had nothing to lose,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who’d lost her previous two matches against Dementieva. “I just wanted to enjoy the match, give her a good game and focus on the future.”
While Zvonareva needed almost seven hours to win, Caroline Wozniacki needed just 51 minutes to advance with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Sybille Bammer. Clijsters, the fourth seed, waited out a 54-minute rain delay after the first three games of the opening set and advanced with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Dinara Safina.
Their match came right after 10th-seeded Maria Sharapova beat Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-1.