Tokyo:
Beijing Olympic gold medallist Elena Dementieva became the latest high-profile Russian casualty on Tuesday at the Pan Pacific Open, going down to Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine in the second round.
The third seed, the champion here in 2006, committed double faults twice on a break point and once on match point to lose in three sets, the 33rd-ranked Bondarenko running out 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-1 winner.
"There was nothing wrong with my serve, I was serving good today," Dementieva said despite 11 double faults.
She hit a double fault on Bondarenko's advantage point in the third game of the first set after taking a 2-0 lead, allowing Bondarenko to take the following six games in a row and the set.
Trailing 4-5 in the second set, Dementieva saved a triple match point, the first with a backhand winner and the next two with Bondarenko's forehand error.
Dementieva seemed to capture the momentum by breaking Bondarenko in the following game to lead 6-5, but again the Russian hit a double fault on a break point before winning the tie-breaker.
Dementieva, however, started the final set with two consecutive double faults to go down 0-1 and then she broke back in the second. But that was all she could do.
Bondarenko comfortably won the two-hour-32-minute battle thanks to Dementieva's 11th double fault.
The fallen Russian said she had a chance to make it 2-2 in the final set on a break point, but she failed to convert, blaming the umpire for a "bad call".
"I was trying to fight. I was down all the match and I was able to somehow change the situation. I saved match points in the second set and I was making another break for 2-2," said Dementieva.
"Such a big mistake from the chair umpire, so it was difficult to play against Kateryna who was playing very well, also against many bad calls. I was still disappointed about it."
Bondarenko said: "I feel good but a little bit tired after the match, but it was just good to win."
"After the second set, when I had three match points, it's really difficult to refocus, but I just had to stay calm and not think about the match points."
Dementieva is among a number of top players to fall, including world number one Dinara Safina and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, both compatriots, as well as American second seed Venus Williams.
In other action, 15th seed Li Na of China outclassed Vera Dushevina, also of Russia, 7-5, 6-0, while eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus whipped China's Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-1.
The 13th seed Nadia Petrova and sixth seed Vera Zvonareva also tumbled out to cap a miserable couple of days for the Russian contingent and leave the field wide open.
The third seed, the champion here in 2006, committed double faults twice on a break point and once on match point to lose in three sets, the 33rd-ranked Bondarenko running out 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-1 winner.
"There was nothing wrong with my serve, I was serving good today," Dementieva said despite 11 double faults.
She hit a double fault on Bondarenko's advantage point in the third game of the first set after taking a 2-0 lead, allowing Bondarenko to take the following six games in a row and the set.
Trailing 4-5 in the second set, Dementieva saved a triple match point, the first with a backhand winner and the next two with Bondarenko's forehand error.
Dementieva seemed to capture the momentum by breaking Bondarenko in the following game to lead 6-5, but again the Russian hit a double fault on a break point before winning the tie-breaker.
Dementieva, however, started the final set with two consecutive double faults to go down 0-1 and then she broke back in the second. But that was all she could do.
Bondarenko comfortably won the two-hour-32-minute battle thanks to Dementieva's 11th double fault.
The fallen Russian said she had a chance to make it 2-2 in the final set on a break point, but she failed to convert, blaming the umpire for a "bad call".
"I was trying to fight. I was down all the match and I was able to somehow change the situation. I saved match points in the second set and I was making another break for 2-2," said Dementieva.
"Such a big mistake from the chair umpire, so it was difficult to play against Kateryna who was playing very well, also against many bad calls. I was still disappointed about it."
Bondarenko said: "I feel good but a little bit tired after the match, but it was just good to win."
"After the second set, when I had three match points, it's really difficult to refocus, but I just had to stay calm and not think about the match points."
Dementieva is among a number of top players to fall, including world number one Dinara Safina and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, both compatriots, as well as American second seed Venus Williams.
In other action, 15th seed Li Na of China outclassed Vera Dushevina, also of Russia, 7-5, 6-0, while eighth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus whipped China's Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-1.
The 13th seed Nadia Petrova and sixth seed Vera Zvonareva also tumbled out to cap a miserable couple of days for the Russian contingent and leave the field wide open.
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