TENNIS/AUSTRALIAN OPEN:ANA IVANOVIC could not hide her disappointment and frustration after crashing out of the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday. For the second day in succession a top seed departed with Ivanovic joining Venus Williams through the exit door, going down 7-5 6-7 (5/7) 6-2 to 29th seed Alisa Kleybanova.
The fifth-seeded Serbian got the crucial break of serve to take the first set, then battled back from 3-0 down in the second to force a tiebreak which she lost. In the decider she found herself in exactly the same position, but after getting back to 3-2 Ivanovic failed to win another game.
“It’s very disappointing, and I’m very, very sad because I really felt I could do well here,” last year’s runner-up said. “I felt physically fit. So it’s really, really disappointing. I can just try to learn from this.”
Kleybanova will now face Jelena Dokic, whose dream run continues after she came from a set down to defeat 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki 3-6 6-1 6-2.
Dokic has really won over the Australian crowds with her performances so far and when Wozniacki fired long after saving two match points the fans in Rod Laver Arena erupted.
After five years in the wilderness Dokic earned her place in the main draw by winning the wild-card tournament and has turned into a giant killer, beating 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze and now the 11th seed.
Top-seed Jelena Jankovic booked her place in the fourth round after a 6-4 6-4 win against Ai Sugiyama, the third time she has defeated the Japanese 26th seed.
Sugiyama, playing in a record 59th consecutive grand slam main draw and 60th of her career, called for a medical time out towards the end of the match where she had her calves iced and appeared to be suffering some trouble with her breathing.
She was 4-3 down in the second set by then but returned to the court and held her next service game to force the world number one to serve out the match.
The top seed will face Marion Bartoli in the fourth round after the French 16th seed defeated Lucie Safarova 3-6 6-2 6-1.
Dinara Safina, the third seed, reached the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time in her career with an easy straight-sets victory against 25th-seed Kaia Kanepi. “I’m really happy. There’s a first time for everything,” Safina said after the 6-2 6-2 win.
Her win sets up a clash with Alize Cornet, the 15th seed, who ousted 19th-seed Daniela Hantuchova 4-6 6-4 6-2.
Seventh-seed Vera Zvonareva had an easy passage into the fourth round with a 6-4 6-1 victory against Italian Sara Errani and will now meet fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, who advanced after Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan retired hurt at the end of the first set, which she lost 6-1.
Roger Federer took one hour 51 minutes to oust Marat Safin 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-5) and set up a fourth-round clash with Czech Tomas Berdych, who beat Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-4.
After the match Safin said it was unlikely he would play at the tournament again.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a stern test from 26-year-old Amer Delic to win 6-2 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Delic, only in the draw because Nicolas Kiefer withdrew through injury, belied his world ranking of 127 firing down 16 aces and 46 winners in a match that lasted a shade over three hours and was followed by skirmishes between rival Bosnian and Serbian fans outside Rod Laver Arena.
Andy Roddick took one hour 39 minutes to see off Fabrice Santoro 6-3 6-4 6-2. Santoro, at 36, was bidding to become the oldest player to reach the fourth round of a grand slam since 39-year-old Jimmy Connors in the 1991 US Open.
MEN’S SINGLES: Third round: (7) Andy Roddick (USA) bt Fabrice Santoro (Fra) 6-3 6-4 6-2, (21) Tommy Robredo (Spa) bt Yen-Hsun Lu (Tpe) 6-1 6-3 6-2, Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) bt (23) Mardy Fish (USA) 6-2 6-4 6-4, (3) Novak Djokovic (Ser) bt Amer Delic (USA) 6-2 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4), (8) Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg) bt Gilles Muller (Lux) 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 7-5, (19) Marin Cilic (Cro) bt (11) David Ferrer (Spa) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-4, (20) Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt (15) Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi) 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-4, (2) Roger Federer (Swi) bt (26) Marat Safin (Rus) 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-5)
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Third round: (1) Jelena Jankovic (Ser) bt (26) Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) 6-4 6-4, (16) Marion Bartoli (Fra) bt Lucie Safarova (Cze) 3-6 6-2 6-1, (10) Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Galina Voskoboeva (Kaz) 6-1 ret, (7) Vera Zvonareva (Rus) bt Sara Errani (Ita) 6-4 6-1, (3) Dinara Safina (Rus) bt (25) Kaia Kanepi (Est) 6-2 6-2, (15) Alize Cornet (Fra) bt (19) Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 4-6 6-4 6-2, Jelena Dokic (Aus) bt (11) Caroline Wozniacki (Den) 3-6 6-1 6-2, (29) Alisa Kleybanova (Rus) bt (5) Ana Ivanovic (Ser) 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-2.
