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Elena Dementieva Edges Samantha Stosur
By Alberto Amalfi
© Tony Chang/Chang Photography
(October 28, 2010) Elena Dementieva squandered four match points the last time she faced Samantha Stosur. Nerves have short-circuited Dementieva in the past, but she's never short-changed her effort level. Fighting back from a one -set, one-break deficit today, Dementieva turned her third match point into a declarative statement in sending a stinging serve down the middle to complete a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) WTA Championships victory over Stosur.
It was the first three-set match of the tournament and the most dramatic Doha match of the week after six straight singles matches were straight-set sweeps.
Competing in her 10th career season-ending championships, Dementieva evened her record to 1-1 in the Maroon Group of the round-robin event.
Despite the defeat, Stosur walked off a winner. The fifth-seed Australian, who dropped to 2-1 in the Maroon Group after wins over Caroline Wozniacki and French Open champ Francesca Schiavone, secured a spot in Saturday's semifinals.
The top-seeded Wozniacki clinched the season-ending World No. 1 ranking by beating Schiavone, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, in today's second round-robin match. The 20-year-old Wozniacki, the first Danish player to reach No. 1, needed two round-robin victories to lock up the top spot.
"2010 has been the most amazing year in my career during which I realized my dream of becoming the world number one," Wozniacki said. "Capturing the year-end world number one ranking is a huge accomplishment for me and I am thrilled that all the hard work has paid off."
Reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters offset eight double faults with eight aces in a 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 triumph over Victoria Azarenka to raise her record to 2-0 in the White Group. Clijsters won the WTA Championships in 2002 and 2003.
Blown out by Wozniacki, 6-1, 6-1, in her first Maroon Group round-robin match in which she looked hobbled by an ankle injury, Dementieva found herself in a familiar position today — battling back from a one-set, one break hole.
"I'm always down a set and a break," a smiling Dementieva said afterward. "It wasn't easy to play today especially after losing to Caroline very easily. I was trying to fight for every point. It feels great to win 7-6 in the third."
Last month, Stosur stared down four match points in dealing a dose of major heart break to Dementieva. The French Open finalist rallied for a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(2) US Open fourth-round triumph.
Stosur seemed to be headed toward a straight-sets win, but Dementieva was not deterred.
The ninth-ranked Russian broke for 5-4.
Serving for the second set, Dementieva got down 0-30, but again came back and when Stosur clanked a forehand well wide, Dementieva had a set point.
Playing exclusively from her backhand corner a stubborn Dementieva continuously played her backhand crosscourt trying to target Stosur's weaker backhand wing. Stosur, giving up much of the court trying to hit her forehand, cracked a crosscourt backhand that stretched Dementieva, forcing her to jab a one-handed backhand into the middle of the court.
Stosur got the short ball she sought and fired an inside out forehand but Dementieva was waiting on it and blasted a backhand winner up the line to snap a 17-shot rally and seize the second set.
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