Schnyder sails on, Molik
\nupset at Wismilak tourney<\/p>\n
Bruce Emond
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Swiss second seed Patty Schnyder was all business in opening
\nher campaign at the US$225,000 Wismilak International on
\nThursday, but Alicia Molik took an unwanted detour on her
\ncomeback trail.<\/p>\n
The athletic left hander, who received a bye in the first
\nround, defeated Spanish doubles specialist Virginia Ruano Pascual
\n6-2, 6-3 for a quarterfinal spot at the hardcourt tournament.<\/p>\n
Despite the scoreline, Ruano Pascual played well in the second
\nset, breaking Schnyder's service and leading 3-1 before the Swiss
\nrattled off five games in row.<\/p>\n
"She's a tough player. I changed my game a bit when I fell
\nbehind," said Schnyder, who increased her head-to-head record
\nagainst Ruano Pascual to 6-0.<\/p>\n
Schnyder next plays Aiko Nakamura of Japan. The world number
\n84 upset fifth seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 6-3, 1-6, 6-
\n1.<\/p>\n
"We played a tough three setter in Cincinnati," Schnyder said
\nof their match on her way to winning the U.S. Open warmup in
\nJuly. "I know it will be tough and I'll have to stay focused. The
\ncourts here are slow so everybody has a chance."<\/p>\n
Based on the seedings, Alona Bondarenko's defeat of third seed
\nMolik was the biggest upset of the day, but the Australian is
\nstill recovering from a five-month hiatus due to an inner ear
\ninfection that affected her balance.<\/p>\n
The 77th ranked Ukrainian "came out swinging", Molik said
\nlater, drilling her opponent's backhand to reach 5-1 and serve
\nfor the first set.<\/p>\n
As she did in her first round match against Mariana Diaz
\nOliva, Molik began a fightback, saving two set points before
\nbreaking the 21-year-old Ukrainian's serve. She held serve and
\nthen saved three more set points to break Bondarenko once again.<\/p>\n
Bondarenko, unlike Diaz Oliva, did not let her lead slip.<\/p>\n
Molik's lack of matchplay and the confidence that brought her
\na world ranking of 8 in February told when she served to tie up
\nthe set in the 10th game.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian won three points in a row to reach 40-30 and,
\nafter a long baseline rally in which both women drove each other
\nfrom side to side, Molik slapped a tired forehand wide.<\/p>\n
Bondarenko raced away with the first four games of the second
\nset before Molik broke her and then held at love. It only delayed
\nthe inevitable; Bondarenko followed by holding at love and then
\nbroke Molik for a 6-4, 6-2 triumph.<\/p>\n
"I played into her rhythm," the all-courter from Adelaide
\nadmitted. "There were short balls I should have come in on but I
\ndidn't."<\/p>\n
Sixth seed Flavia Pennetta rallied from a first set loss to
\nbeat China's Jie Zheng 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to set up an all-Italian
\nquarterfinal against fourth seeded Francesca Schiavone.<\/p>\n
As with the U.S. Open earlier this month, Ekaterina Bychkova
\nwas unable to string two victories together.<\/p>\n
She beat defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in New York
\nCity in the first round, only to lose in the second. Here, she
\nfollowed her upset of 8th seeded Indian Sania Mirza with a 6-4,
\n6-3 loss to Maria Elena Camerin, the third Italian through to the
\nquarterfinals.<\/p>\n
The 23 year old from Venice reached the semifinals here last
\nyear, but she will have to hope for a great day on Friday if she
\nwants to match that result. She meets top seeded American Lindsay
\nDavenport, who beat her in straight sets in their only meeting
\ntwo years ago.<\/p>",
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