Tennis: Jelena Dokic Defeats Nadia Pretova To Advance in GDF Suez Open
Former top 10 player Jelena Dokic of Australia scored one of her biggest wins in a long time on Thursday, shocking Nadia Petrova 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the GDF Suez Open in Paris.
Having fallen to 120th in the rankings, Dokic defeated the 20th-ranked Petrova to advance to the quarterfinals for a date with Kim Clijsters. If Clijsters wins, she'll officially take over the No. 1 ranking in the world on Monday.
Dokic is one of just two unseeded players who made it through to the quarterfinals; the other is American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who will face sixth-seeded Andrea Petkovic tomorrow. Mattek-Sands was due to face Maria Sharapova in the second round, but the former Russian No. 1 pulled out due to an upper respiratory illness.
In the other Paris quarterfinal matches, Petra Kvitova will take on Yanina Wickmayer, and Kaia Kanepi battles Dominika Cibulkova.
PTT Pattaya Open
In Thailand, Vera Zvonareva kept up her inexorable quest for a third straight title with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over sixth seeded Peng Shuai. Zvonareva looks ahead to either Daniela Hantuchova or Akgul Amanmuradova in the next round.
On the other side of the bracket, Italy's Roberta Vinci defeated Ana Ivanovic, 7-5, 6-3, and Sara Errani knocked out qualifier Galina Voskoboeva, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
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