Despite failing on six set point opportunities in the first set, Kuznetsova stayed positive, and broke twice to lead 5-1 in the second set. While that set was never really in doubt for Sveta, Mauresmo gave her a taste of what was in store in the third, reaching break point three times in the eighth game before Kuznetsova prevailed 6-2.

On to set three, which saw the most exciting tennis on display at this year’s Pilot Pen. In the opening game, Kuznetsova gave the crowd a scare when she tumbled to the ground chasing a Mauresmo forehand. But she picked herself up, and broke the Frenchwoman for an early lead. Mauresmo got back on serve, however, and serving at 2-3 40-15, Kuznetsova dumped an overhead into the net, which seemed to change the momentum of the match. Mauresmo broke to lead 4-2, followed by an incredible seventh game. Mauresmo found herself down 0-40, but dug out with some fine net play, and more than a little luck from a couple of net cords. On game point, a net cord from Kuznetsova leapt a few feet in the air, and kept the crowd in suspense until it landed on Svetlana’s side of the net. Serving for the match, Amélie connected on her first deliveries, and held at love. After the match, Kuznetsova acknowledged that this was the most offensive display she’s seen from Mauresmo, and it paid off for Amélie’s seventh win over a Top 10 player in 2009.


Women’s Quarterfinal: E. Vesnina def. A. Chakvetadze, 6-1, 7-5


Elena Vesnina continued her strong run at the Pilot Pen with a straight sets win over fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze. Vesnina used a solid serve to easily sweep through the first set, making 89% of her first serves, and dropping only eight points total on her serve. Chakvetadze, who was the top seed at the 2008 Pilot Pen, but had slipped to as low as 75th in the world earlier this year, finally started to connect in the second set. Anna held off five break points when serving at 3-3, then, heartened by the successful hold, finally managed to break Vesnina for a 5-3 advantage. But Vesnina was the better performer this day. She used an arsenal of clever drop shots, angled groundstrokes, and successful net play to sweep the final four games. As Vesnina herself explained it after the match, she didn’t play “boom boom tennis,” but instead crafted some intelligent points to earn her first career win over Chakvetadze in six matches, and is in her third semifinal of the season.


Men’s Quarterfinal: (6) S. Querrey def. N. Davydenko, 6-3-, 3-6, 6-4

Sam Querrey started his quarterfinal match where he left off yesterday: serving up aces and breaking serve. He earned the quick break of serve over top seed and 2006 Pilot Pen champion, Nikolay Davydenko, and didn’t face a break point on his own serve en route to a 6-3 opening set. Early in the second set, Davydenko took a medical timeout for his wrist after the third game, and things looked dim for the World No. 8. The pair stayed on serve through the second set, until Querrey was serving at 3-4. A few errors from Sam gave the Russian the break, and he held at love to force a third set.

Querrey, who will be the second-ranked American in next Monday’s ATP World Tour rankings, quickly grabbed the first eight points of the third set, holding and breaking at love. But the early advantage for the American disappeared just as swiftly, with Davydenko breaking at love and putting the match back on serve. Both men continued to hold serve easily, until Querrey went down 15-40 serving at 4-4. But two crosscourt forehand winners and consecutive aces got Querrey out of trouble. With the pressure on Davydenko, he folded. The Russian’s double fault and a few more errors gave the match to Querrey, who finds himself in his fourth semifinal of the summer.



Women’s Quarterfinal: (2) C. Wozniacki def. V. Razzano 6-4, 6-3

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki remains unbeaten in New Haven, as she produced a straight set victory over the veteran Frenchwoman, Virginie Razzano. The match wasn’t quite as close as the score would seem to indicate, as Wozniacki had secured a double break lead in both sets. In both instances, Razzano managed to grab one break back, but Wozniacki was always comfortably in the lead. Razzano couldn’t contain her shots through most of the contest, as both forehands and backhands sailed past the baseline in her effort to keep Wozniacki from attacking. Wozniacki, now firmly inside the world’s Top Ten, had perhaps her biggest struggle today from a bee that disrupted her while serving at 2-1 in the second set. Despite running towards the umpire’s chair, then back onto the court, Caroline couldn’t get the insect to let her be. (Sorry, bad pun). But the bee, and Razzano, were finally dispatched, and Wozniacki advanced to face Flavia Pennetta in Friday’s semifinals.

Around the Grounds

I guess Fernando’s a pain in the neck: After Fernando Verdasco’s easy 6-3, 6-1 decision over Jurgen Melzer, Melzer told Verdasco that he was having neck pain and was unable to play at 100%... What happens in Vegas: Verdasco spent more time with Andre Agassi and Gil Reyes in Las Vegas before Canada’s Rogers Cup , and plans to return in October, after Shanghai… If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again: Melzer swiped his racquet on the ground after consecutive down-the-line passing shots from Verdasco; when Verdasco passed him a third time for a break of serve, the Austrian smashed the racquet to the ground and earned a code violation for racquet abuse… Good things come in small packages: Flavia Pennetta admitted she prefers playing a smaller side court than a large stadium court, because the smaller courts don’t give you as much room to get lost behind the baseline… We know how you feel about bees, how about Beatles?: After a series of questions in her press conference about the bee incident, Caroline Wozniacki was asked if she liked the music by the father of her new on-court clothing designer, Stella McCartney. Caroline hesitated before laughing and telling the press her father and mother enjoy Paul’s music. Tennis for the sight impaired?: The spectator behind me this evening continually asked his companion for the match score, until finally being told that the two large screens at either end of the court had that information available..


More photos from the 2009 Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament.
Photos: Mariya Konovalova