Toronto, Aug 16: There were more upsets at the Toronto WTA event as Elena Dementieva stunned defending champion Amelie Mauresmo to reach the semi-finals.
Dementieva, the 21-year-old Russian who is seeded no. 9, yesterday banished the memory of a 6-0 6-0 defeat at the hands of the French woman the last time they met in the semi-finals indoors in Paris earlier this year, winning 3-6 6-4 6-2 in two hours, eight minutes.
"The last time I played her I lost very badly, so I'm very happy," said Dementieva, who had lost all three of her previous meetings against Mauresmo.
Dementieva, the world no. 9 who captured her first WTA tour title in Amelia Island in 2003 with a victory over Lindsay Davenport in the final, broke Mauresmo six times during the match.
Mauresmo needed an injury time-out at 1-4 in the second set, but still had her chances to win the match, leading 2-1 in the final set and having break points for a 3-1 lead.

But the Russian held her nerve, breaking to lead 3-2 and, at 5-2, saved three more break points to book her place in the semi-finals against no. 2 seed Justine Henin-Hardenne, who beat Elena Bovina 6-2 6-4 in their quarter-final.

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Dementieva, who saved a match point against Henin-Hardenne en route to the title in Amelia Island, added, "I've got nothing to lose against her. She's a great player, so it will be an interesting match for me and a great experience."

The other semi will see 27-year-old Argentine Paola Suarez square off against Lina Krasnoroutskaya, of Russia.
Bureau Report