Pavlyuchenkova defeats Kvitova in Miami

12th seed Petra Kvitova, whose game was on fire early in the season, was defeated by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open today. Kvitova sustained an abdominal injury a couple of months ago, and that slowed her down; she has not returned to the form that enabled her to win two titles at the beginning of the year. Pavlyuchenkova, who is seeded 17th in Miami, posted a score of 6-4, 6-7, 6-0.

It took her three sets, but  8th seed Victoria Azarenka was able to fight off an in-form Dominika Cibulkova, Kim Clijsters was taken to three sets by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, but the 2nd seed prevailed, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. 5th seed Francesca Schiavone defeated Lourdes Dominguez Lino in a close two sets.

Indian Wells champions Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina lost to Daniela Hantuchova and Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round today, and 6th seeds Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova were upset by wild cards Ana Ivanovic and Andrea Petkovic.

Petkovic will meet top  seed Caroline Wozniacki in singles play in the fourth round. Petkovic, who is seeded 21st, has never played Wozniacki at a WTA event.

Pavlyuchenkova defends Monterrey title

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded second at the Monterrey Open, defended her 2010 title today by defeating top seed Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. This is Pavlyuchenkova's third WTA title. She is currently ranked number 19 in the world.

The entertaining Czech pair, Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, won the doubles championship. Seeded 1st, Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova defeated 2nd seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King 6-7, 6-2, 10-6. Today's victory is the team's seventh title. Benesova holds a total of eleven doubles titles, and Zahlavova Strycova holds a total of twelve.

Jankovic and Pavlyuchenkova to compete in Monterrey final

Defending champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenko stopped Gisela Dulko's Mexican streak today, defeating her 6-4, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Monterrey Open. Dulko, the champion in Acapulco, had won eight straight matches. Pavlyuchenkova, who is seeded 4th in Monterrey, will play top seed Jelena Jankovic in the final. Jankovic defeated Polona Hercog 6-3, 6-2 today.

Top seeds Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova won the second semifinal match today, defeating 3rd seeds Julia Goerges and Polona Hercog 6-4, 6-3. They will compete for the title against 2nd seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King.

Kvitova wins Brisbane

Petra Kvitova, who caused a stir last year at Wimbledon, got her 2011 season off to a roaring start today by winning the Brisbane International. Kvitova defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 6-3 in the final. Both players were unseeded. On her way to the final, Kvitova upset 3rd seed Nadia Petrova and 5th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and also Dominika Cibulkova. This is Kvitova's second WTA Tour title.

Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska had a difficult season last year, often having to play with other partners in order to obtain points. In Brisbane, however, the Polish team took out both the 2nd and 3rd seeds, and made it to the final. That was the end of their run, however; the unseeded team of Alisa Kleybanova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated them 6-3, 7-5, and won the title. This was only the second time that Kleybanova and Pavlyuchenkova had played together in doubles.

Seeds 1 and 3 out in Bali

Top seed Li Na went out in the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions today. Li was defeated 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 by wild card Kimiko Date Krumm. Also going out was 3rd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. It took Ana Ivanovic just over 56 minutes to defeat Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 6-1.

Pavlyuchenkova, as is often the case, had problems with her serve. The talented young Russian's serve is inconsistent, and she will need to do something about it if she wants to continue to go up the rankings.

Pavlyuchenkova out of Kremlin Cup in 1st round

When she's healthy, Dominika Cibulkova can be a relentless opponent. Kremin Cup 4th seed AnastasiPavlyuchenkova learned about that today when Cibulkova defeated her, 7-6, 2-6, 6-0. Unfortunately, the two double-faulted a total of 21 times.

Kateryna Bondarenko defeated Petra Kvitova, 8th seed Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez defeated wild card Alla Kudryavtseva, and  Alona Bondarenko defeated U.S. Open junior girls champion Daria Gavrilova, who also had a wild card into the main draw.

In doubles, 4th seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko defeated Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova, and 1st seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta also advanced to the second round, as did Vitalia Diatchenko and Tatiana Poutchek.

Miscellany

Mary Joe Fernandez has signed a contract with the USTA that will extend her role as captain of the USA Fed Cup team for two more years.

It isn't your imagination that players ignore the 20-second service rule.

Caroline Wozniacki hit with Novak Djokovic today.

"I'm not the player I was two years ago," Anne Keothavong recently told the BBC. Keothavong says that various injuries have kept her from being as fit as she should be. "Who knows what's going to happen?" she said. "I'm going to need time to reassess and decide what I want to do."

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will enter the top 20 next week.

Birthday girl!

The elders gather

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova had an elbow problem during her U.S. Open round of 16 match, but she had an even bigger Italian problem: French Open champion Francesca Schiavone sliced, spun, and out-served the Russian, and won the match 6-3, 6-0 in just an hour and eight minutes. 19-year-old Pavlyuchenkova, the highest-ranking teenager on the tour, has had a variety of physical problems lately--her hip, shoulder and arm have all given her given her trouble. Today, she said, the arm pain spread to her elbow. The 30-year-old Schiavone, who is seeded 6th, used her signature one-handed backhand to keep 20th-seeded Pavlyuchenkova on the run, and set up a number of volleys, which she executed with style.

Schiavone will face another volleying 30-year-old in the quarterfinals. Venus Williams, the tournament's 3rd seed, faced one of the tour's biggest fighters, Shahar Peer, today. The first set was all about breaks of serve. Williams had trouble getting her first serve in, and Peer was keen to take advantage of this. They played some great rallies, and produced an outstanding game when Peer served at 5-6. Earlier in the set, she had come back to hold after being down 0-40, and she did it again in this crucial game. She double-faulted for the first time when she reached the 5th deuce, but hung on. On the 7th deuce point, Peer stretched out for a winning volley, and followed it with a winning forehand down the line. (It was Peer's forehand, in fact, that helped her compete with Williams throughout the match.)

Williams dominated the tiebreak, won it 7-3, then went up 2-0 right away in the second set. And though she was broken in the latter part of that set, she put on a display of volleying that left Peer behind. Williams, who won 20 of 26 net points, defeated Peer 7-6, 6-3, giving her a 6-0 record against the 16th seed. The 3rd seed did not appear to be troubled by her knee, but perhaps was troubled by the wind when she served. 

There was one other daytime round of 16 match, and it lasted only 59 minutes. Defending champion Kim Clijsters broke Ana Ivanovic six times and defeated her 6-2, 6-1. Ivanovic had trouble with her ball toss again, and held serve only once. She made 28 unforced errors, and did not display the improvement we've seen from her in the last few weeks. 

In the quarterfinals, Clijsters will play the winner of the Sam Stosur-Elena Dementieva match.

Pre-U.S. Open Miscellany

Anastasia Pavlyuchenko began her stay in New York by doing a photo shoot for Babolat.

Laura Robson defeated Jelena Dokic 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of U.S. qualifying. Of note: Robson hit eleven aces.

"Even though she’s a mom, success still matters a great deal to her," says Matt Cronin of defending champion Kim Clijsters. (Because we all know that having a child wipes out all desire and ambition in women.)

Vera Zvonareva and Lisa Raymond are two of the players who have designated tomorrow as a shopping day in New York.

To prepare for the Open, Maria Sharapova has been training at the Bollettieri Academy.

Serena Williams was co-commentator for Nike's Prime Time Knockout last night at Pier 54 in Manhattan. Victoria Azarenka was one of the participants.

Miscellany

Here are photos of Maria Sharapova's U.S. Open dresses. I was hoping she'd do some type of deep blue at night, and here it is. (It's supposed to be a deep purple, but it's definitely a purple with a lot more blue in it than we generally associate with the color.)

And speaking of Sharapova, don't miss the latest edition of the Backspin Time Capsule (warning to JJ fans--you'll relive the whole 2006 U.S. Open nightmare).

Lisa Raymond will never have to worry about leaving her iPod where I can get my hands on it.

Serena Williams will resume playing in Tokyo at the end of September.

2009 junior U.S. Open champion Heather Watson lost today in the first round of qualifying for the 2010 U.S. Open main draw.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has begun practicing for the U.S. Open, so fingers crossed....

Miscellany

The tour's "Looking Back at a Legend" series is now featuring one of my all-time favorite players--the great Evonne Goolagong.

Oracene Price says that her favorite player to watch (outside of Venus and Serena, of course) is Jelena Jankovic.

You can see some of Alona Bondarenko's wedding photos here.

Now that Pilot Pen has withdrawn its sponsorship, the New Haven tournament is looking for a sponsor.

Defending champion Kim Clijsters says she may have some strapping on her leg at the U.S. Open, but that she is fully fit.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is having trouble with her shoulder, as well as her hip. Pavlyuchenkova withdrew from New Haven competition.

Pavlyuchenkova withdraws from New Haven

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who was scheduled to play juniors peer Melania Oudin in the first round of Pilot Pen Tennis, has withdrawn from the event; the world number 22 has been dealing with a hip injury lately. Lucky loser Dominika Cibulkova will replace Pavlyuchenkova in the draw.

Miscellany

Caroline Wozniacki will be the number 1 seed at the U.S. Open; she is last year's runner-up.

Former top juniors (number 1 and 2, respectively) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Melanie Oudin will compete in the first round of Pilot Pen Tennis. Oudin defeated Pavlyuchenkova in the first round of the 2009 U.S. Open.

Longines and Steffi Graf will host the Center Court for Kids Tennis Clinic on September 2 at Central Park Tennis Center. Graf, a Longines Brand Ambassador, will be assisted by other tennis pros in providing instruction to fifty girls from the metro New York area.

Daria Gavrilova is the girls' singles champion of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.

The 100k ITF Bronx tournament begins on August 23. A lead-in to the U.S. Open, the tournament features a main draw of 32 players. This year's entry list includes Sabine Lisicki, Anna Chakvetadze, Ekaterina Makarova, Iveta Benesova, and Klara Zakopalova.

Sharapova to contend for Cincinnati title

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova ran out of fuel in the third set of her semifinal match against Maria Sharapova tonight in Cincinnati. Pavlyuchenkova, faced with multiple break points against her, double-faulted several of them away. This is a disturbing pattern in Pavlyuchenkova's otherwise inventive, excellent game, and something she needs to work on.

It wasn't Sharapova's best night, either. She made repeated groundstroke errors, but was able to take control at the end, when it mattered. In a sometimes entertaining, sometimes frustrating, match that lasted over two and a half hours, Sharapova took the victory at 6-4 (Pavlyuchenkova double-faulted twice to get broken at 4-all), 3-6, 6-2. She will play Kim Clijsters in tomorrow's final.

Pavlyuchenkova into Cincinnati semifinals

I can't recall the last time (there must have been some time) that a player was down 1-5 in both the first and second sets of a match, and won the match. But that was the situation Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova found herself in today at the Cincinnati quarterfinals.

Pavlyuchenkova went down 1-5 in her first set against 12th seed Yanina Wickmayer, saved three set points, then went on to break, go to 6-5, and break again. Down 1-5 in the second, set, she broke, but lost the set 3-6. The young Russian (now know as the Teen Queen, since she's the highest-ranked teenager on the tour) went up 4-0 in the third, and wound up winning that set 6-1.

This has to be the bitterest of losses for Wickmayer. Pavlyuchenkova, on the other hand, is showing fans the kind of fighting tennis that made her the junior world number 1. It has taken her some time to adjust to playing on the tour, but now she is getting results. Pavlyuchenkova has now won nine straight matches.

For qualifier Akgul Amanmuradova, the Cincinnati quarterfinals were a trip back to reality, as an in-form Ana Ivanovic defeated her 6-1, 6-3.

And for 11th seed Flavia Pennetta, it was a pattern her fans have seen too many times--barely lose the first set, then fade somewhat in the second. Pennetta was up a break in both of her sets against 4th seed Kim Clijsters. The set was highly competitive, with the Italian salvaging nine of ten break opportunities against her.

The set went to a tiebreak, which Clijsters won, 8-6. Pennetta played well in the second set, but her level clearly dropped. To be fair, she made several shots that very few players on the tour could have gotten to, but Clijsters, like Jankovic, is one of those players who can get to almost any ball. (And for the tennis commentators and writers who say that Clijsters has stopped sliding on hard courts, all I have to say is: Pennetta wishes.) Clijsters took the second set 6-4.

The last quarterfinal, between Maria Sharapova and Marion Bartoli, will be played later today.

Dementieva upset in Cincinnati

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated 3rd seed Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-3 in second round play in Cincinnati today. Dementieva had problems with her serve, and was broken half a dozen times by Pavlyuchenkova.

Also going out was Dinara Safina, who was defeated 7-5, 6-2 by 4th seed Kim Clijsters. Elena Vesnina upset 5th seed Francesca Schiavone, and 10th seed Maria Sharapova defeated Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 6-1. All other seeds advanced, and so did wild card Christina McHale, who defeated Ayumi Morita.

In doubles, Wimbledon champions Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova lost in the first round to the team of Sania Mirza and Monica Niculescu. Mirza and Niculescu defeated the 5th seeds 6-3, 1-6, 10-6. Wild cards Carly and Chelsey Gullickson advanced to the third round with a win over Julie Coin and Lucie Hradecka.

Pavlyuchenkova wins see-saw final in Istanbul

I hated watching Elena Vesnina cry on her birthday, but after almost three hours and eleven minutes of unpredictable--and very entertaining--tennis played in vicious heat in Istanbul today, she couldn't stop a few tears from forming. Vesnina--whose talent is undeniable, but whose mental fragility can get in her way--has never won a tour title. Unseeded, she made it to the Istanbul Cup final, taking out Stephanie Voegele, Anastasia Rodionova and 6th seed Andrea Petkovic along the way. And for a while, it looked as though she would walk away with the Istanbul title.

Vesnina's opponent, 3rd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, went up 5-2 in the first set, but then Vesnina caught up and took the set 7-5. Winning six games in a row, she then went up 4-0 in the second set. If this situation seemed too good to be true, it's because it was--Pavlyuchenova then went on a campaign that gave her a 7-5 score in the second set.

By the time the third set began, it was obvious that Vesnina was having problems with the heat. At one point in the set, she looked like she might be cramping, but she held on, icing herself during breaks, and then winning points with her spot-on volleys. A fine doubles player (she was a star during Wimbledon), Vesnina knows her way around the net, and she used her volleying skills repeatedly against Pavlyuchenkova.

But Pavlyuchenkova was obviously the fresher of the two, and she used her crack backhand down the line again and again to win points. Pavlyuchenkova had the momentum, yet Vesnina--even when she looked like she couldn't move--managed to stay with her until they reached 5-all. Pavlyuchenkova broke, then held easily to win her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title.

During the trophy ceremony, the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to Vesnina, and, in accepting her trophy, Pavlyuchenkova gave us a gem of broken English (which some may prefer to think of as a Freudian slip): "First of all, I'd like to thank the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour for everything they've done to us."

Pavlyuchenkova to play Vesnina in Istanbul final

3rd seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Jarmila Groth 7-6, 2-6, 7-5 in the Istanbul semifinals today, setting up a final against Elena Vesnina. Groth served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, but was broken.

The other semifinal, between Vesnina and Andrea Petkovic, has one of those strange scorelines you see from time to time: 1-6, 6-0, 7-6. Petkovic led 3-0 in the third set, but Vesnina caught up, and served for the match at 5-3. Petkovic broke her, and the match wound up in a tiebreak, which seemed just right, considering the odd course it had taken. Vesnina went up 5-0 before Petkovic even scored in the tiebreak, and eventually won it, 7-2.

The talented Vesnina has never won a tour title; Pavlyuchenkova has won one title.

Miscellany

The Kansas City Explorers are the 2010 World Team Tennis champions. It is the first championship for the team. Jarmila Groth was named the final's Most Valuable Player. Groth, who won all three of her sets, played doubles with Kveta Peschke.

Charleston, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia and Richmond, Virginia are the three finalists of the ten cities nominated by the USTA as the 2010 Best Tennis Town. The winning city, to be announced next month, will get $100,000 worth of tennis equipment to be used in its tennis community. 2010 Family Circle Cup champion Sam Stosur said: "Charleston certainly felt like the Best Tennis Town in America when I won the title in April, and it's definitely one of my favorite events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour because the city is so beautiful, and the fans are very knowledgeable and supportive of the sport."

Ana Ivanovic says she is "a little hurt and disappointed" that she did not receive a wild card into Rogers Cup competition. Ivanovic will have to qualify to get into the main draw.

Sarah Unke writes about the struggles of Anna Chakvetadze.

Vera Zvonareva withdrew from the Bank of the West Classic because of a minor leg injury, but she plans to play in San Diego.

Here is an interview with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Chakvetadze in Slovenia Open semifinals

Anna Chakvetadze continued creating good results today in Slovenia when she upset 6th seed Vera Dushevina and thereby secured a spot in the semifinals. 3rd seed Anna Pavlyuchenkova, however, was defeated in straight sets by Johanna Larsson.

In doubles, Chakvetadze and Marina Erakovic upset 3rd seeds Pavlyuchenkova and Anastasia Rodionova.

In Bad Gastein, Alize Cornet moved to the semifinals with a win over Patricia Mayr.