| Thursday, 26 June 2008 Written by Adam Lincoln Daniela Hantuchova’s comeback from injury was dealt a blow in the second round, as young Russian Alisa Kleybanova used shock and awe to defeat the tenth-seed 6-3, 4-6, 6-1. Other seeds to fall on the outside courts included Flavia Pennetta and Sybille Bammer, who were also three set victims.
For the first set and a half of their match, Hantuchova was bamboozled by an astonishing display of power and accuracy by her 18-year-old opponent.
Although she made few unforced errors, the Slovak star, playing her first tournament since April after suffering a stress fracture to her right heel, was kept firmly on the back foot by Kleybanova’s cannonballs.
Playing in only her third Grand Slam main draw, the Russian was imperious as she broke for 4-3 in the opener, and again to take the first set. She began the second set with an ace and seemed on course for a remarkably easy win as she moved to a 4-1 lead. But with victory in sight, errors marred her hitherto flawless play, and Hantuchova applied her greater experience to put together a five game winning streak for the second set. Both players had plenty of chances in the early stages of the third, and Hantuchova may have nightmares about an unlucky net cord at a crucial moment, but when Kleybanova finally converted a sixth break point for a 3-1 lead, Slovak resistance faltered.
Elsewhere, 16th seed Victoria Azarenka defeated Sorana Cirstea in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. The pair had played just once previously, in the second round at Roland Garros a few weeks ago, when Azarenka dished out a double bagel defeat to the Romanian.
Again Cirstea struggled to cope with the Belarusian’s explosive power, but considering she needed an injury timeout in the first set after a nasty stumble, she might draw solace from the more respectable scoreline on this occasion.
The closest thing about the second match on Court 14 was the spelling of the combatants’ names, as Caroline Wozniacki breezed passed 94th-ranked Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, 6-1, 6-1.
The 17-year-old No.31 seed from Denmark was joined in the third round by 24th seed Shahar Peer of Israel, who was too good for veteran lefthander Emilie Loit of France, 6-3, 6-4. Taking to the court for the second day in a row after her first round match was only completed on Wednesday, fifth seed Elena Dementieva had an altogether tougher time against up-and-coming Swiss teenager Timea Bacsinszky.
Both had been in good in fine form of late, but Dementieva’s greater experience won the day in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Her fellow Russian, No. 21 seed Nadia Petrova, put an end to the injury comeback campaign of Italy’s Mara Santangelo, 6-4, 7-5.
Less fortunate among the seeds was No.22 Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who was beaten by Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama in three sets, and Austrian No.26 Sybille Bammer, who lost in three to Peng Shuai of China. Bammer actually won more points — 116 to 113 — but the Chinese player converted more of her break point opportunities in registering a 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 6-3 win.
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