Tennis: Young stars give glimpse into future

Experience helped Maria Kirilenko move through to the quarter-finals yesterday. Picture / Martin Sykes

There was a glimpse into the future when an 18-year-old Russian tackled a 16-year-old Belarussian on centre court at the Auckland international tournament yesterday.

Spectators should mark down the day because it's a reasonable bet Maria Kirilenko and Victoria Azarenka will be squaring off in a Grand Slam final. And at their present rate of progress it might be in about four years' time.

Kirilenko, who has shot up from world No 111 to No 25 in the last year, won 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in a marathon contest of just over two hours against junior world No 1 Azarenka. She now meets compatriot Vera Zvonareva for an ASB Classic semifinal spot today. Azarenka, who won five junior Grand Slam titles last year and is world No 170. She's better than that and now heads for Australia having stored another valuable lesson away for future reference.

It was a contrast in styles but they deserved equal praise for their battles with ill winds which did their best to diminish the quality of tennis.

Several times it sounded as if someone was blowing their nose in the umpire's microphone. A couple of times the players were reduced to pat-a-cake rallies just to keep some control over a ball which seemed to have a mind of its own.

Courtside umbrellas threatened to leave their moorings on a day when, if you'd just arrived from Mars, you'd have assumed you were in Wellington.

The tall, coltish Azarenka is a squealer, in the nicest possible way, and she was at it from early in the match as her unforced error rate mounted at double that of her opponent.

Where fourth seed Kirilenko was largely undemonstrative, simply going about her business, Azarenka let her emotions out and seemed to win over the crowd, especially after battling back to square the match and force a deciding set.

Kirilenko is a good mover who plays a steadier, less risky game. Her outward appearance suggested she might have been having a practice workout on a back court, until things got a bit sticky early in the third set.

Azarenka also demonstrated the more forceful armoury. Several rasping forehands left Kirilenko groping at air, she fired a few bullet-like returns of serve and possesses has a 'don't argue' backhand. By contrast Kirilenko relied on allround prowess.

And on a frustrating day, when a steely mind was important, steady beat spectacular. Kirilenko got a break to lead 5-3 and Azarenka succumbed with a double fault.

Top seed Nadia Petrova eased past fellow Russian Vera Dushevina in straight sets and now faces plucky Puerto Rican Kristina Brandi. Brandi has a flat hitting style which might pose some problems but world No 9 Petrova should stroll it.

Still, the Russian would be happier if the wind went away. "It was ugly tennis. All that wind doesn't do any good for your tennis."

Still she probably spoke for all yesterday's winners when she pointed out mental rather than technical proficiency was the key in frustrating conditions.

"You have to try and be strong, have to try and stay calm," she said.

Brandi is pretty realistic. "I think it will be fun. I have nothing to lose, I know it will be tough but I'll just go out and enjoy the moment."

Brandi has reached the quarter-finals in Auckland twice before - and both times was dumped out by the top seed. It's unlikely to be third time lucky today.

Eighth seed Zvonareva had to battle past Korean Yoon Jeong Cho, the beaten finalist at the Classic in 2003, winning 6-3 2-6 6-1. Zvonareva, the world No 26 and at 21 a veritable old hand alongside Kirilenko, won their only previous meeting, in Moscow on carpet in October.

Two more seeds tumbled out yesterday, leaving five in the final eight. No 3 Elena Likhovtseva was bundled out by delighted world No 95 German Julia Schruff in straight sets, and defending champion and world No 5 Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia lost to Israeli qualifier Tzipora Obziler.


On today

* Unseeded blond German Julia Schruff takes on French sixth seed Marion Bartoli. World No 95 Schruff has already tipped out former world No 4 Jelena Dokic and third seed Elena Likhovtseva.

* Top seed Nadia Petrova meets unheralded Puerto Rican Kristina Brandi in a night match which promises a contrast in styles. Neither player has dropped a set so far.