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Sports Line Archive
January - June 2004
Smashnova-Pistolesi thrashes Serna
(May 20) Israel's Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi
is in solid form ahead of the French Open. On Thursday she
crushed Spain's Magui Serna 6-1 6-0 to reach the semifinals
of the Wien Energie Grand Prix in Vienna.
The 2002 champion, who had a first-round bye, has lost only
two games in two matches in Vienna. "I have come here
to win the event and things are looking good. I feel in great
form, and I am very confident for the next match," Smashnova-Pistolesi
said after beating Serna for the second time in seven days.
In the semifinals, Smashnova-Pistolesi will take on fifth-seeded
Amy Frazier of the United States, who defeated Slovak Lubomira
Kurhajcova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. The other semifinals will see Australian
sixth seed Alicia Molik play eighth-seeded Jelena Kostanic
of Croatia on Friday.
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Smashnova-Pistolesi wins, to face Capriati
(May 14) Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi advanced
to the quarterfinals of the $1.3 million Rome Masters with
a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Italian Flavia Pennetta on Thursday.
Extremly sharp all week, Smashnova-Pistolesi knocked out Magui
Serna and Maria Elena Camerin with a total loss of only six
games in the previous rounds and has yet to lose more than
two games in a single set.
While second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo was overpowering four-time
champion Conchita Martinez 6-3, 6-4 in a mostly empty stadium,
most of the Foro Italico crowd was out on the Pallacorda court
watching local favorite Pennetta, who upset fourth-seeded
Nadia Petrova on Wednesday but couldn't come up with any more
surprises.
The fans contented themselves with the fact that the 16th-seeded
Smashnova-Pistolesi is at least married to an Italian –
former ATP Tour player Claudio Pistolesi, who is also her
coach. Smashnova-Pistolesi will face fifth-seeded Jennifer
Capriati, who eliminated No. 12 Paola Suarez of Argentina
6-2, 6-2, in 62 minutes.
The Rome Masters is a major clay-court tune-up for the French
Open, which starts May 24. Smashnova-Pistolesi, ranked No.
21 by the WTA Tour, has been improving every week leading
up to this year’s second Grand Slam. After reaching
the quarterfinals in Warsaw two weeks ago she went on to beat
Magdalena Maleeva and Nathalie Dechy in reaching the round
of sixteen at the $1.3 million Ladies German Open before losing
to Venus Williams last week.
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Smashnova-Pistolesi advances in Warsaw
(April 29) Eighth seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi
beat former top ten player Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-5 to
move into the quarterfinals of the $585,000 J&S Cup in
Warsaw, Poland. Also advancing to the quarterfinals Wednesday
was second seed Venus Williams who worked her way past Fabiola
Zuluaga of Colombia, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
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Israeli women defeat South Africa
(April 22) Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi lead
the Israeli Fed Cup team to a 2-1 victory over South Africa
Wednesday in Europe/Africa Zone Group I competition at the
Athens Lawn Tennis Club in Greece.
On Israel's second day of matches, Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi
lost only two games in her win over Nicole Rencken 6-1, 6-1,
while Tzipi Obziler defeated Chanelle Scheepers in straight
sets, 6-1, 6-4. In the doubles, however, Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi
and Shahar Peer could not complete the sweep, losing 6-1,
6-3 to Natalie Grandin and Rencken. It was Israel's first
loss in this week, as Israel had defeated the Netherlands
3-0 on Monday.
Israel, which is seeded third out of 14 nations in the grouping,
will face Ukraine (5) on Friday, the final day of round robin
matches. The top two teams in Israel's four-team Group B advance
to Saturday's playoffs. The zonal playoff winners qualify
for the World Group playoffs, to take place July 10-11 2004.
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Paul Nilbrink wins Jakobsberg Classic
(April 21) Paul Nilbrink of Sweden topped
Soren Juul of Denmark in a head to head battle at Golf Club
Jakobsberg near Koblenz, Germany to win the third pro tour
Esprit (EPDTour) event this year.
Nilbrink started the final day with a one shot lead over
Juul and Inder van Weerelt from Holland. The former European
tour player was trying to make it a clean "start to finish
victory" after he posted a 67 the first day and a 69
in round two. Both players fought back and forth and Juul
was one up going into the final hole. After an errant tee
shot from Juul which left him in the long rough on the right
side on the par 5 18th it looked as though it was heading
for a play off as Nilbrink made an error free tee shot which
left him with a possibility of going for the green in two.
Juul was only able to advance his ball slightly down the fairway
leaving the door open for his playing competitor. Nilbrink
took the opportunity and hit a brilliant fairway wood within
four meters of the hole and setting up an eagle chance. Juul
hit his third shot short of the green and hit his approach
shot, which took an unfortunate bounce and was still left
outside of Nilbrink. Juul missed his par putt leaving the
Swede two putts for his first victory on the pro tour Esprit.
He was able to sink in the putt for an eagle. Nilbrink finished
the final round with another solid 67 and a -13 total. Low
round of the tournament went to Jerome Theunis with his 3rd
round score of 65 and moved from tied 33 to 6th position.
In total 41 professionals and 4 amateurs made the 36 hole
cut. Low amateur was David Hausner T 7 at -4.
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Smashnova loses battle to Zvonareva
(April 16) In a matinee match, ninth seed
Vera Zvonareva of Russia defeated 13th seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi
of Israel 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 in the third round of the 1.3 million
dollar WTA Family Circle Cup in Charlston, South Carolina.
Israel's top female tennis star, Smashnova-Pistolesi, defeated
Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico, 0-6, 6-1, 6-2 and Yuka Yoshida
of Japan, 6-1, 6-1 in the first two rounds at the Family Circle
Cup.
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Rao roars in Challenger
(April 15) American Sunitha Rao, ranked
No. 253 in the world, upset third-seeded and 166th-ranked
Christina Wheeler of Australia 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 Wednesday to
highlight play in the first round of the BankPlus/USTA Women's
$25,000 Challenger at River Hills Club.
ITMS Sports client Rao hopes this week's performance at the
USTA Women's Challenger is another step toward making a name
for herself in professional sports.
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Sunitha Rao reaches Rockford Semis
(February 9) Sunitha Rao’s strong run
at the JMK Nippon $25,000 Challenger of Rockford, Ill., finally
ended on Saturday when she lost a heartbreaking three-set
semifinal against No. 2 seed Gisela Dulko of Argentina.
112th-ranked Dulko’s experience helped her fight back
to edge out Rao 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) in a match that lasted
two hours and 26 minutes at the USTA Pro Circuit event held
at the Clock Tower Racquet Club & Fitness Center in Rockford.
18-year old Sunitha Rao of Bradenton, Florida, served extremely
consistently throughout the match, making 70 percent of 150
first serves. But after winning the first set in what seemed
like an effortless nine games, Dulko made the American work
overtime in the second and third sets. Seven of Rao's 12 service
games went to deuce, and when Dulko came to the realization
that she was one game away from being eliminated, the sense
of urgency showed in her game. "When I was broken and
went down 5-4, it's like I woke up," said Dulko, who
at 18 is in her fourth year on the tour.
Top seed Lindsay Lee-Waters of Dunwoody, Ga., also advanced
to the final after beating defending champion Michaela Pastikova,
the third seed from the Czech Republic, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
in the other semifinal on Saturday.
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