Russia took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Fed Cup final on Saturday after top 10 players Vera Zvonareva and Svetlana Kuznetsova overpowered their Spanish rivals to put the holders within reach of a fourth title in five years. World number nine Zvonareva beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-4 in the opening rubber of the five-match tie on Saturday before Svetlana Kuznetsova dismissed 20-year-old Carla Suarez 6-3, 6-1.
Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek overcame a fighting Russian pair of Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva to book a semi-final berth in the US $ 600,000 WTA East West Bank Classic tournament in Los Angeles. The Indo-American pair, seeded second, pipped the Russian duo 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 in one hour and 14 minutes in the quarter-finals of the Tier II hard court event on Friday night.
The second seeds pipped the American-Russian duo of Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
Holders Russia will play Spain in the Fed Cup final after both teams made light work of their semi-final opponents on Sunday.
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.
Serena Williams reached the Family Circle Cup semi-finals on Friday by beating number two seed Maria Sharapova 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 while Vera Zvonareva upset top seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Sharapova, who won only nine of 35 points in a final set during which Williams made only one unforced error, lost to the American for the fifth time in seven career matches.
The best was saved for the last. After a day of mundane action and lopsided contests, China's Zi Yan showed tremendous grit to save three match points and oust eighth seed Maria Kirilenko in the first round of the WTA Tier II Bangalore Open on Tuesday night.
Serena and Venus Williams, top seed Jelena Jankovic and fourth seed Patty Schnyder have received first round byes in the tournament, which gets underway on Monday.
The Russian claimed her second title of the year when she defeated unseeded Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 in an all-Russian final in Doha.
Amelie Mauresmo received an easy passage into the final of the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia on Saturday when Maria Sharapova was forced out of the event with a sore shoulder.
The Russian swept aside Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik at the Linz Open on Tuesday.
Vera Zvonareva stunned sixth seeded Amelie Mauresmo 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Kremlin Cup.
Serena Williams's impressive return from injury ended when she lost 6-2, 6-3 to Russian Vera Zvonareva in the Cincinnati Open semi-finals on Saturday.
The Wimbledon champion will begin his defence against the talented Richard Gasquet of France
The Russian clinched her first Birmingham Classic title, beating surprise finalist Jamea Jackson in a close fought match.
Sania Mirza will have to beat world number five and top seed Russian Vera Zvonareva to claim the second WTA singles title of her career as the two players set up the summit clash in the USD 220,00 Pattaya Open on Saturday.
Unseeded Venus Williams marched into the Family Circle Cup semi-finals by beating Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4 7-5 on Friday.
Daniela Hantuchova maintained her good form at Pacific Life Open with a gritty 6-2 5-7 7-6 victory over Israeli 11th seed Shahar Peer in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Vera Zvonareva sent world number one Maria Sharapova to a stunning 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 at the Pacific Life Open.
The two players bowed out in the quarter-finals of the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia.
Venus Williams and Vera Zvonareva registered second-round victories at the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Venus Williams swept past fellow American Lisa Raymond 6-2, 6-1 in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Unheralded Igor Kunitsyn upset former world number one Marat Safin 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 in an all-Russian Kremlin Cup final to clinch his maiden title.
The Belgian world number six will face Kaia Kanepi the final of the Hasselt Cup.
Top seed Maria Sharapova was stretched by Serbia's Ana Ivanovic before she claimed a 7-6 7-5 win to reach the semi-finals of the Linz Open on Friday.
Top seed Kim Clijsters edged past Jelena Jankovic, while Maria Sharapova beat fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva at the Acura Classic.
The Belgian battled past Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of the Bank of the West Classic
Russia's Vera Zvonareva rounded off a week of upsets with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia to win the Cincinnati Open on Sunday.
The Indian ace was beaten by the top seeded Swiss girl 6-7(7), 5-7 in the quarter-finals.
Andy Ram became the first Israeli to win a Grand Slam tennis title when he partnered Russia's Vera Zvonareva to win the Wimbledon mixed doubles crown.
The victory gave the unseeded American a place in the Birmingham Classic final against Russian Vera Zvonareva.
Serena Williams won her third title of the year by beating Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the Family Circle Cup final.
Top Russian player and world number 21, Vera Zvonareva, would participate in the Bangalore Open, to be held from March three to nine.
Maria Sharapova will face Vera Zvonareva in an all-Russian final at the Qatar Open.
Anastasia Myskina and Vera Zvonareva powered Russia to their first Fed Cup title by winning the decisive doubles against holders France on Sunday.
Jennifer Capriati rallied to beat fellow American Meghann Shaughnessy at the Advanta Championships in Philadelphia.
The American ace beat Vera Zvonareva while US Open champion Kuznetsova accounted for Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals of the China Open.
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