 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 01 Jun 2005 |
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| 01 Jun 2005 - Roland Garros, Paris - Eleanor Preston | |
| Kleybanova dethrones King to seal quarter-final spot |
Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova continued her giant-killing run in the Roland Garros junior event, adding Vania King’s name to the list of fallen seeds in Paris. Kleybanova, who beat second seed Viktoria Azarenka in the previous round, beat 16th seed King 6-3, 6-1 to move through to the quarter-finals and afterwards said she has never felt more confident at a grand slam.
“In a way beating Azarenka was my most difficult match because she had beaten me at the Australian Open and so there were a lot of nerves,” explained Kleybanova. “Coming through that gave me a lot of confidence for today’s match. I knew how she was going to play and I went onto the court with the belief that I could win.”
Kleybanova reached the last eight at Wimbledon last year in her only previous grand slam quarter-final showing but rates this as a better performance. “I am a much better player now and I think my game is improving a lot all the time. It’s tough to compare Roland Garros and Wimbledon because they are so different but this is definitely the best I’ve played in a grand slam.”
The Russian owes her success in Paris to two weeks of hard preparation on clay at the Altuz-Alvarino Tennis Centre in Valencia, where she practiced with her coach before beginning this part of the season.
“I chose to go there because the clay courts in Moscow weren’t ready earlier in the season. I did a lot of work on my footwork, my endurance and my coordination and that is why I am playing well now.
Kleybanova now faces surprise quarter-finalist and French wildcard Youlia Fedossova, who beat Jennifer-Lee Heinser 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 to earn a last eight berth. Fedossova knocked out seventh-seeded Romanian Monica Niculescu in the second round.
Bibiane Schroofs from the Netherlands has also been laying waste to the seeds in her section of the draw. Having got past top seed Jessica Kirkland on Tuesday, she beat 13th seed Olga Govortsova from Belarus 6-4, 7-6 to clinch a quarter-final place and she now takes on unseeded Japanese girl Ayumi Morita, who beat sixth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova 7-5, 6-4.
In the other girls’ quarter-finals, Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland plays Romanian Raluca-ioana Olaru, while Agnes Szavay of Hungary will be up against unseeded Russian Evgeniya Rodina, who conquered 15th-seeded Madalina Gojnea of Romania 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Wednesday saw upsets in the boys’ tournament too, with Australian Open finalist Sun-Yong Kim topping the list of seeded casualties when he was outplayed by Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-1, 6-3. Cilic now plays Ukrainian Sergei Bubka, who was a 7-6, 6-2 winner over American Matt Bruch. Alexandr Dolgopolov followed up Tuesday’s win over second seed Donald Young with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over the 14th seed Russia’s Evgeniy Kirillov and plays Antal Van Der Dium. Van der Dium won an enthralling battle against Canada’s Peter Polansky 4-6, 7-5, 8-6.
Sam Querrey may not be seeded in Paris but after April’s victory in the Easter Bowl he must be regarded as a dark horse for the Roland Garros title, especially after Wednesday’s 6-0, 6-0 rout of British qualifier Andrew Kennaugh.
“I think that’s best I’ve ever played, especially on clay. I really played lights out,” said 17-year-old Querrey, “I haven’t played that much on clay but after a few matches on it I’m starting to really enjoy playing on it. I’ve been moving better and working out how to play on it. Before this tournament I said I wanted to get the quarter-finals, which I’ve done. Now my goal is definitely to win the title. American’s haven’t done well at this tournament lately so there would be a little bit of pride in being an American and winning here.”
Querrey faces Slovakian Lukas Lacko in the last eight, who beat Querrey’s friend and fellow American Jesse Levine 6-4, 7-6.
“Doing well at a grand slam is great because it means the rest of the world knows how good you are,” said Querrey. “It makes a big statement to everyone.”
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