Jankovic reaches Kremlin Cup quarters

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:17 PM MOSCOW (Ticker) -- Jelena Jankovic's best run of the season continued on Thursday.

The top-seeded Serbian advanced to the quarterfinals of the Kremlin Cup with a 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2 victory against Russian wild card Vera Dushevina.

Jankovic, who overtook Serena Williams for the No. 1 ranking on Monday, is seeking her third title in as many events. The triumph over Dushevina extended her win streak to nine matches.

The first player on the WTA Tour this season to reach the 60-win plateau, Jankovic has now advanced to the quarterfinals or better in 19 of 20 tournaments in 2008.

But as she is prone to do, the 23-year-old made things interesting.

Buoyed by the partisan crowd, Dushevina won the first set tiebreak and was up a break on serve at 2-1, 40-15, in the second set.

Jankovic, however, clawed back to earn a break of her own - knotting things at 2-all - and never trailed again during the 2-hour, 30-minute encounter.

The U.S. Open finalist will be a clear-cut favorite in the quarterfinals against unseeded Italian Flavia Pennetta, who rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win against Russian wild card Ekaterina Makarova.

Pennetta upset No. 6 Venus Williams in the opening round and has won two titles this season, but is 0-4 lifetime against Jankovic.

A Russian player has won this event four of the last five years, and that trend may continue considering that five of the eight quarterfinalists here are locals.

Both No. 7 Vera Zvonareva and 2006 runner-up Nadia Petrova claimed wins Thursday to join Russian countrywomen Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the round of eight.

Zvonareva will face Dominika Cibulkova in the quarters after crushing unseeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, 6-1, 6-0, in 52 minutes.

Petrova, who will face Dementieva next, moved through when Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki retired from their second-round match while trailing, 6-4, 3-2.

The 26-year-old Petrova has played well of late, reaching the semifinals or better in four of her last five events, including a title in Cincinnati.

Dementieva, however, is the defending champion and has reached the semifinals or better in nine of 16 events this year.

First prize is $196,900.