Jankovic crashes out

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:19

Kanepi, 23, climbed into the world’s top 30 at the end of last season and has continued her progress this year, reaching the third round of the Australian Open.

The 16th seed looked to have the match sewn up at 6-2 5-2 but Jankovic battled back well only to lose her serve one final time and crash out 6-2 7-5.

The other big names all progressed to the quarter-finals with little alarm. Top seed Serena Williams eased past China’s Zheng Jie 6-4 6-2.

The Australian Open champion will now meet former world number one Ana Ivanovic, who is still struggling to rediscover the form that saw her lift the French Open title last year.

Ivanovic, who is working with new coach Craig Kardon for the first time on the WTA Tour this week, found the going fairly comfortable against France’s Camille Pin, coming through 6-2 7-6 (7/5).

Elena Dementieva, seeded fourth, was a 6-1 6-3 winner over Anabel Medina Garrigues and will next face sixth seed Venus Williams, who was equally emphatic in dispatching 10th seed Alize Cornet 6-3 6-2.

Fifth seed Vera Zvonareva – who has enjoyed a superb start to the season, reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open and winning in Pattaya City last week – had an especially easy time as Marion Bartoli retired with blisters when trailing 5-2.

Zvonareva’s opponent in the quarter-finals will be France’s Virginie Razzano, who followed up her win over Dinara Safina by defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-2 1-6 6-2.

Qualifier Elena Vesnina, who will next face Kanepi, also benefited from a retirement – 12th seed Dominika Cibulkova succumbing to the heat when trailing 4-6 6-1 4-0.

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