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Czech Lucie Safarova

Vinci, Safarova post upsets in Tokyo

Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:04 by Inderjit Singh

Tokoyo -- Czech Lucie Safarova and Italian Roberta Vinci scored first-round upsets Sunday in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Safarova, ranked 44th in the world, ousted former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) and Vinci, ranked No. 56, knocked off countrywoman Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 6-2.

Ivanovic is ranked No.8 in the world and Penetta is 10th.

Dinara Safina, the defending champion and the tournament's top seed, will open against qualifier Kai-Chen Chang of Taiwan and American Serena Williams, seeded No. 2, will take on Russian qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her opening match.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International.

Safina, Venus advance at Cincy tournament

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 11:21 by preet_20

Cincinnati, Aug. 12: Dinara Safina bounced back after losing the first set Tuesday to beat Roberta Vinci at the Western and Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati.

The top-ranked Russian, who was runner-up at the French and Australian Opens, beat her Italian opponent 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in second-round play at the $2 million event.

Safina racked up 10 double faults in the match, which lasted nearly two hours.

Venus Williams of the United States also advanced Tuesday by dispatching Belarusian Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-2.
French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova struggled against Czech Lucie Safarova but eventually prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-4).

Pennetta, Sharapova win in LA

Tue, 08/04/2009 - 10:43 by preet_20

Carson, Calif. Aug. 4: Flavia Pennetta and Maria Sharapova were first-round winners Monday at the LA Women's Tennis Championships in Carson, Calif.

Pennetta, of Italy -- the 2008 runner-up -- eliminated American Varvara Lepchenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-0. Sharapova, of Russia, dropped Slovak Jarmila Groth 6-0, 6-4 to advance to a second-round match against third-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

In other first-round action, 11th-seeded Virginie Razzano of France was eliminated by Russian Anna Chakvetadze 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; Czech Lucie Safarova beat 15th-seeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); and American Jill Craybas beat16th-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (9-7), 6-2.