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(© Reuters) |
Serena Williams was taken to three sets by Anna Kournikova as she stepped up her Australian Open preparations at the Sydney International tournament today.
Williams took two hours to beat her Russian opponent 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. She will now play Amelie Mauresmo in the quarter-finals.
Kournikova, still searching for her first singles title in over five years on the WTA Tour, returned to the circuit in October after suffering a stress fracture in her left foot in late February.
Former world No.1 Martina Hingis secured a 6-1, 6-1 win over American Lisa Raymond. She will play Sandrine Testud or Henrieta Nagyova in the quarter-finals.
Testud beat Tina Pisnik of Slovenia, 6-0, 6-2. Nagyova ousted Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
Elsewhere, Wimbledon finalist Justine Henin was too strong for Austrian Barbara Schett, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, and sixth-seeded Amélie Mauresmo defeated South African Amanda Coetzer 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. - AFP