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Myskina upset but Hingis moves into quarters

DOHA: Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama ousted fourth seeded Anastasia Myskina 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (8/6), 6-4 in the second round on Wednesday to advance into the quarter-finals of the WTA Qatar Open.

Comeback queen Martina Hingis also moved into the last eight with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over third seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Sugiyama’s victory in two hours and 50 minutes was all the more creditable as she was yet to win a set this season before heading to Doha where Myskina won the title in 2003 and 2004. The match will be remembered as much for Sugiyama’s victory as for the countless errors committed by both players on big points that led to the advantage changing swiftly throughout the match.

Myskina was off to a blazing start taking a 4-2 lead in the first set before Sugiyama fought back ferociously and, aided by the Russian’s fragile temperament, managed to extend it to the tie-break which she won at a canter. In the second set, however, no player could manage to gain a clear ascendancy and the trend continued into the tie-break where the scores at one stage were tied 3-3. But the 30-year-old Sugiyama produced two brilliant shots to gain a 5-3 lead and at 6-4 she held two match points, but aided by the Japanese’s unforced errors, Myskina hit back to level at 6-6. Myskina then used her serve to good advantage to go ahead 7-6 and stretch the match into the third set.

Sugiyama was in a tearing hurry in the decider as she blasted away to a 3-0 lead, breaking Myskina’s serve in the first and third games, but the Russian, who won the French Open in 2004, secured a break of her own in the fourth to close the gap to 3-1. Sugiyama, however, secured another break soon to be up 4-1 before Myskina won a lengthy sixth game to break back and then held serve to get within touching distance at 3-4. The Russian, who was all charged up by now, broke Sugiyama to level at 4-4, before the Japanese broke again to lead 5-4 and held serve after her rival saved a match point.

“It’s always difficult playing a strong player like Anastasia so I am pretty relieved to win and make the quarter-finals here,” said Sugiyama. “I was yet to win a match this season so I will cherish this win and hopefully I can take some confidence from here,” she added. Myskina was heartbroken after her defeat but refused to accept there wwas something wrong with her game. “I played good, but in the end the result is all that matters,” she said. “All credit to Ai because she played very well.”

Sugiyama will now take on German Julia Schruff in the quarter-finals. Italian Roberta Vinci and Russian Svetlana Kuznettsova also moved into the last eight. Vinci defeated Venezuelan Mara Vento-Kabchi 6-2, 6-3, while Kuznetsova accounted for fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 7-6 (8/4). Kuznetsova will clash with Hingis in the quarter-finals next. afp

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