Elena Dementieva reinforced her leadership in three sets by claiming yet another match that went to a decisive set. this time the victim was slovakian Daniela Hantuchova. According to the Sony Ericcsson WTA Tour statistics Dementieva is now the clear leader in the W/L record of three sets having won 16 and lost just 2. In the Pilot Pen Tennis Open Dementieva continued her streak of wins, which is now on the 6th consecutive victory dating back to her title run in Los Angeles. Hantuchova still gave some fight especially during the middle set, which the former top ten claimed 7-5 after leading 5-3, allowing the russian to level things up.
But in the first and third sets Dementieva showed the class that has taken her back into the top five rallying to a 6-2 win rellying on her superb return game which claimed 73% of the points whenever Hantuchova fired a first serve. In the third set Dementieva claimed over twice as many points as Hantuchova (28 to 12) in crushing the slovakina 6-0.
Dementieva now leads the series 7-3. Next up for the wrold number 5 will be her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova. Dementieva currently leads the series 3-2, having won the last two encounters but missing a great chance of winnign her first Grand Slam in the 2004 US Open final. Svetlana has been pushed to three sets on both of her previous matches in New Haven, in the first round versus Jill Craybas and in the second versus Golovin. Should Dementieva advance she is highly likely to face Justine Henin-Hardenne.
