MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia had mixed fortunes at the U.S. Open in New York on Thursday with Elena Dementieva becoming the first top player to crash out, while world No. 1 Dinara Safina had to dig deep to overcome her opponent.
Safina, who also struggled in her first-round match on Tuesday, had to overcome her own nerves and service problems to beat Germany's Kristina Barrois 6:7, 6:2, 6:3.
In a post-match interview on the tournament website, Safina was cited as saying, "Tough two days. Maybe one day I will have it a little easier."
However, it was fourth seed Elena Dementieva who really stunned the New York crowd going out in three sets 7:5, 4:6, 3:6 to 17-year-old American Melanie Oudin ranked 67th in the world.
It was good news for Nadia Petrova, seeded thirteen, who made light work of France's Julie Coin, dispatching her 6:4, 7:6 to continue her tournament challenge.
