Top seed survives scare
2008-08-26 20:06
New York - Top seed Ana Ivanovic survived
a scare at the US Open on Tuesday before scraping past Vera
Dushevina of Russia 6-1 4-6 6-4 in the first round.
The Serbian, chasing her first US Open title, lost her way
late in the second set in but bounced back to clinch victory in
just over two hours.
French Open champion Ivanovic, who missed the Olympics with
a right thumb injury, cruised through the first set and led 4-2
in the second before her game unravelled.
World number 57 Dushevina forced a decider and saved two
match points but the top seed finally prevailed to set up a
clash with Julie Coin of France or Australian Casey Dellacqua.
Olympic silver medallist Dinara Safina, who is trying to put a fitting exclamation point on a superb season, defeated Kristie Haerim Ahn 6-3 6-4.
The 22-year-old Russian has won three titles in 2008 but hasn't made it past the quarter-finals in the US Open.
Safina hammered five aces and fired 20 winners to just eight for qualifier Ahn in the one hour, 24 minute match.
It would be a windfall victory for Safina if she breaks through and wins the US Open.
She is placed first the US Open Series leading up to the final Grand Slam of the season which means she will receive a one million dollar bonus in addition to the $1.5m in first place prize money.
She advances to the second round where she will face the winner of a match between Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan and Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France.
Safina reached the final at the Beijing Olympics but had to settle for silver after losing to Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva.
At the French Open she made it to her first Grand Slam championship where she lost to Serbian Ana Ivanovic. She was eliminated in the third round at Wimbledon.
Qualifier Ahn was making her debut appearance in the US Open in just her fourth tournament since turning pro.