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Monday, August 21, 2006

More Tennis Failure for Russian Ladies

Last week the final WTA tour event prior to the last grand slam, the U.S. Open, was held in Montreal Canada. Here again, the Russian ladies continued their tradition of woeful losses to lower-ranked players. Maria Sharapova, who would have been seeded second, started the ball rolling when she scratched before her first match, claiming she was "too tired" (too depressed might be a better word) after her wretched peformance the week before when she was eliminated in the semi-finals by a lower-ranked player in a tournament where she was the number one seed.

Seeded in Montreal were Russians Nadia Petrova (#3), Svetlana Kuznetsova (#4), Anastasia Myskina (#6), Dinara Savina (#9) and Maria Kirilenko (#15). Only Safina got as far as the semi-finals, where she was ousted in straight sets by the lower-ranked (#13 seed) Ana Ivanovic. Safina only got to the semis because Nicole Vaidsova, seeded #5, withdrew due to injury, leaving Safina to face a player not ranked in the world's top 100 in her quarterfinal match.

#4 Kuznetsova did the least bad among the others, losing in straight sets in the quarters to the #7 seed.

#3 Petrova lost her first match of the tourament, to an unseeded player not ranked in the world's top 25.

#6 Myskina did likewise, but at least she took the unseeded world #25 to three sets before capitulating.

#15 Kirilenko lost her second match in straight sets, to an unseeded player not ranked in the world's top 30.

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