Moscow, Oct 05: Amelie Mauresmo will meet Anastasia Myskina in the final of Kremlin tennis.
Elena Dementieva's 10-match winning streak ended on Saturday (October 4) when the third-seeded Russian lost to second seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-4 6-1 in the Kremlin Cup semi-finals. In Sunday's final, Frenchwoman Mauresmo takes on fourth-seeded Russian Anastasia Myskina, who overwhelmed unseeded Israeli Anna Pistolesi 6-2 6-0. Dementieva, who won successive WTA titles in Shanghai and Bali last month, started brightly, opening up a 4-2 lead, but Mauresmo ran off the next four games to take the first set. She then strolled through the second set in just 25 minutes as Dementieva's game fell apart.



"I started really well, was very aggressive," said Dementieva. "But at 4-2, I played two sloppy games, just gave the initiative away. I think I was rushing my shots a little bit, trying to finish off points right away."


"But in the second set honestly I just don't think I had the emotional strength to fight for victory."


World number seven Mauresmo, however, did not think it was an easy victory.


"Easy win? No way. It may looked easy, but I think it was a pretty intense first set," said the Frenchwoman, who reached her first Kremlin Cup final on her fourth consecutive appearance in Moscow.


"I lost to her the last time we played in Toronto, but today I was able to adjust a little bit to her game and more importantly I was able to find my rhythm."


Mauresmo lost in last year's semi-finals here to eventual champion Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria.


Saturday's match was especially intriguing looking ahead to next month's Fed Cup semi-final between Russia and France on the same centre court of Moscow's Olympiisky Sports Complex.


"Well, maybe after today she will be overconfident and I can get a revenge," the Russian said with a wry smile.


"No way," replied Mauresmo when told of Dementieva's answer. "I don't know if this win will give me a psychological boost when we play next time. When you face a top player like Dementieva you must approach each match as a new challenge and get ready for anything. So we'll see what happens next time."


Myskina, who last week triumphed at the Leipzig Grand Prix where she beat French and U.S. Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final, dominated Pistolesi from the baseline to extend her winning streak to seven matches.


"I was trying to finish off the match as quick as I could," said 10th-ranked Myskina, who ran to the VIP stand to receive personal congratulations from former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.


Bureau Report