Tue, Mar 31, 2009 page20

• East Europeans ousted in Miami

  • AGENCIES
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  The Eastern Bloc crumbled at the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday with Russia’s world No. 2 Dinara Safina among a trio of top 10 women suffering third-round upsets.

  Seventh seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia and Russian sixth seed Vera Zvonareva also endured surprise elimination, but it was business as usual for the top ranked men with Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic all jaunting through.

  Safina lost 6-1 6-4 to unseeded Australian Samantha Stosur and described the rain-interrupted encounter as a “disaster.”

  

  Gael Monfils of France acts silly during a match against Marat Safin of Russia during the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Sunday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  “It was just bad match for me. It was just a disaster match,” a stern-faced Safina said.

  “I started to play a little bit better at 6-1, 3-0 but I had put the game in her hands and it was too late,” the second seed added, blaming fatigue for her form.

  “It’s very disappointing. That’s what I’m playing for,” Safina said. “I want to be there. Suddenly I go to the court and I don’t even fight for it. It’s just bad behavior from my side. Champions, they don’t do this. It’s a good punishment for me. I have to get smarter.”

  

  Taylor Dent of the US follows through on a serve to Tommy Robredo in the third round at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Sunday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Stosur, ranked world No. 42, was to next face France’s Amelie Mauresmo, an impressive three-sets victor over Italian Flavia Pennetta.

  “It’s a great feeling to beat a top-10 player again,” Stosur said. “I came close a few times. Today I got over the line and I’m just really pleased. I knew I could do it. It was just a matter of when it was going to happen.”

  Hungarian Agnes Szavay, No. 25, beat Ivanovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in another rain-affected match.

  Ivanovic’s exit completed a bad weekend for Serbia after her compatriot Jelena Jankovic was knocked out in the second round by Argentine Gisela Dulko.

  “I hardly did anything well today. I was trying to come in, and I was volleying pretty well at times, but I was really disappointed. I couldn’t really hold my serve,” Ivanovic said.

  Zvonareva went out to Li Na of China 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

  While Serbs and Russians fell, the US’ Williams sisters marched on.

  Venus beat battling German Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5, 6-3 while world No. 1 Serena gave up a game fewer on her way to a 7-5, 6-2 victory over China’s Peng Shuai.

  In the men’s event, Roddick survived a grueling first set tiebreak against Russian Dmitry Tursunov, which he won 11-9, before going on to ease through the second set 6-2.

  World No. 2 Federer enjoyed a routine 6-4, 6-1 win over German Nicolas Kiefer but will face a surprise opponent in the fourth round after 15th-ranked Spaniard Tommy Robredo lost 7-5, 6-3 to qualifier Taylor Dent of the US. Dent’s career looked finished in 2007 after he spent most of the year in a cast with a back injury.

  Third-seeded Serbian Djokovic gave some satisfaction to his country with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.

  It was a poor day for Russia — and the Safin family — with Dinara’s brother Marat losing to Frenchman Gael Monfils 5-7 7-5 7-6 in the day’s most exciting game.

  Monfils, who will now play Roddick, came back from a 2-5 deficit in the third set and then saved two match points in the third.
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