Anna advances

Anna Kournikova showed some unexpected grit Thursday. AP

TOKYO (AP) -- Russia's Anna Kournikova needed two tie breakers Thursday but defeated compatriot Elena Dementieva 7-6, 7-6 to advance to the quarterfinals of the US$1.22 million Toray Pan Pacific tennis tournament.

Dementieva, the tournament's No. 7 seed, broke Kournikova's serve to take a 6-5 lead in the first set but the 20-year-old fought back to force the first tie breaker, which she won 7-4 when Dementieva hit her slicing backhand into the net.

Kournikova dropped the first three games of the second set and battled back to pull even at four all. With Dementieva leading 6-5, Kournikova held serve and then won the second tie breaker 7-5.

"I think this is one of the best matches since my comeback, if not the best," said Kournikova. "She hits the ball very hard and this is the first time we've played against each other so I'm very happy."

Kournikova missed eight months due to a stress fracture in her left foot. She played in last week's Australian Open but lost in the first round to Justine Henin.

In earlier matches Thursday, No. 2 seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia became the third big-name casualty of the day -- along with Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria and Amanda Coetzer of South Africa -- losing in straight sets to Anne Kremer of Luxembourg 7-5, 6-2.

Dokic, who sat out the Australian Open, looked rusty playing in her first tournament in two months. Trailing 5-2 in the second set, Dokic went down love-30 on two unforced errors and never recovered.

"I had a lot of chances in the first set and felt I should have won it, or at least get back to six all," said Dokic. "I haven't played in a long time and you just can't come out and play well on a tough surface like this against players who have been playing a lot."

Kremer, currently 32nd in the world rankings, said she didn't change her strategy.

"I was just trying to play my usual game," she said. "I know she hasn't played in a while but it's always nice to beat a top 10 player." Kremer will take on Kournikova in the quarterfinals.

Third-seeded Monica Seles of the United States breezed past Els Callens of Belgium 6-2, 6-3 and will face compatriot Alexandra Stevenson in the quarterfinals.

"This is the only tournament on this surface," said Seles. "It's a tough surface because the points are very fast and it's unusual. But I thought I played well when it was important."

After dropping the opening set, Stevenson, who had to qualify for this event, battled back to defeat eighth-seeded Coetzer.

Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn defeated sixth-seeded Maleeva 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 and will face top seed Martina Hingis in Friday's quarterfinals.

"Martina is a tough player so I'll just have to go out and do my best," said Tanasugaren, 26th in the world rankings.

In Thursday's other singles match, Italy's Silvia Farina Elia, the tournament's No. 5 seed, downed compatriot Rita Grande 7-5, 6-4 and will face fourth-seeded Sandrine Testud of France in the quarterfinals.

 

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