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.
Russian Elena Dementieva, who won gold at the 2008 Olympic Games, announced her retirement from tennis at the WTA Championships on Thursday.
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Caroline Wozniacki rolled up her sleeves and battled back from a set down to defeat Francesca Schiavone of Italy 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 at the WTA Championships on Thursday, sewing up the year-end world number one ranking.
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.
Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova shocked fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Montreal Cup third round on Tuesday. Dementieva was joined at the exit door by eighth-seeded compatriot Vera Zvonareva, who was upset 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 by Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.
The 29-year-old American romped to a 5-0 lead against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska and completed a 6-1 6-2 victory on auto-pilot as slumbering Court One fans applauded politely in temperatures soaring into the 30s Celsius again.
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.
German Sabine Lisicki clinched her first WTA title by upsetting fifth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 in the Family Circle Cup final on Sunday.
Svetlana Kuznetsova reached the final of the Dubai Championships by beating Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Serena Williams survived a scare from France's Aravane Rezai on Thursday before booking her spot in the Sydney International final against Russian Elena Dementieva. The Australian Open champion was teetering on the brink of defeat after losing the first set and trailing 5-2 in the second but she raised her game to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
With a heavy rain expected to hit Flushing Meadows later in the day, Serb Jankovic relied on her trademark dogged retrieving to beat Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4 before the muscular Williams swept away Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 in the women's singles semi-finals at the US Open.
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.
Champion Venus Williams powered through to her seventh Wimbledon final with a 6-1, 7-6 victory over Russian Elena Dementieva.
World number one Dinara Safina took a first step towards a second consecutive claycourt title by battling to a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Li Na at the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
World number one Serena Williams has pulled out injured of the Paris Open before her semi-final against Russian Elena Dementieva on Saturday.
Fifth-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur saved four match points in a thrilling third set and came back to beat Russian Elena Dementieva 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
Venus strongly denied any notion that she and Serena, who have faced each 15 times competitively, decide in advance who should win.
The unseeded Frenchwoman beat the top seed to set up a meeting with Russia's Elena Dementieva.
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.
Hungarian teenager Agnes Szavay battled it out for over two hours to overcome Russian Elena Dementieva 6-3 1-6 7-5 and reach the Paris Open final on Saturday.
Serena Williams overpowered top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6, 6-1 to reach her first Kremlin Cup final.
The Belgian was joined by Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic and Tatiana Golovin in the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open.
Top seed Amelie Mauresmo, second seed Kim Clijsters and number three Justine Henin-Hardenne also won their quarter-finals.
Maria Sharapova retired during her Pan Pacific Open semi-final against Ana Ivanovic due to a hamstring injury.
After losing a 38-stroke exchange midway through the second set, Myskina responded by cracking her racket.
Sixth seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova was beaten by Serbian 19th seed Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round of the US Open.
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.
However, the Indian ace and her partner South African Liezel Huber, entered the doubles quarter-finals of the Acura Classic.
The third seed best her fellow Russian 6-1, 6-2 to win her first Pacific Life Open.
The Indian ace fought off a strong challenge from qualifier Bethanie Mattek at the Pacific Life Open.
The Wimbledon champion beat Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico 6-1, 6-4 at the $1.3 million Montreal Cup.
The Belgian defeated Russian Elena Dementieva 7-5, 6-4 to win the Family Circle Cup for a second time.
Former world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Tatiana Golovin while Dementieva beat Patty Schnyder.
Former world number one Lindsay Davenport won her eighth consecutive match on the comeback trail by beating Russian Elena Dementieva 7-6, 6-1 to reach the semi-finals of the China Open on Friday
Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati will clash for a place in the final of the Bausch and Lomb championships.
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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