Korea Open

Twelve months ago she came out on the losing end of a three set final at the Hansol Korea Open... what a difference a year makes. It was Maria Kirilenko's time to shine in Seoul this year, as she rallied past a game Samantha Stosur on Sunday for the Tier IV crown, 26 61 64.
 

Top-seeded Maria Kirilenko reached the Korea Open final on Saturday after rallying for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over No. 3 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.
 
Kirilenko will meet Samantha Stosur in Sunday's final after the Australian eased past Jill Craybas of the United States 6-0, 6-1.
 
Russia's Kirilenko needed 2 hours, 18 minutes for her victory over Kanepi, which gives her a chance to claim her third title this year after winning at Estoril and Barcelona.
 
Kirilenko squandered a 5-1 lead before winning a close first set.

Maria Kirilenko claimed her place in the semi-finals of the Korea Open at the expense of fifth seed Pauline Parmentier on Friday.
 
The top-seeded Russian eased to a 6-3 6-2 victory over her French opponent to set up a last-four meeting with Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.
 
Third seed Kanepi was also a comfortable winner on Friday, beating Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-1 6-4.
 
Jill Craybas and Samantha Stosur will contest the other semi-final after wins in their respective last-eight matches.
 

Shahar Peer's mercurial year took another disappointing turn in the quarterfinals of the Hansol Korea Open on Friday, as the No.2 seed was bundled out of the tournament in straight sets by Jill Craybas. Top seed Maria Kirilenko and No.3 seed Kaia Kanepi both advanced to the last four without losing a set, however, as did unseeded Samantha Stosur.
 

Unlike the bottom half of the draw at the Hansol Korea Open, where Shahar Peer is the sole seed left at the quarterfinal stage, three of the top half's four seeds made their designated last eight slots on Thursday. Only No.8 Chan Yung-Jan failed to win her second round match, falling to Belgian 18-year-old Yanina Wickmayer in straight sets.
 

Top-seeded Maria Kirilenko highlighted Thursday's second-round winners at the $145,000 hardcourt Korea Open.

The 2007 Seoul runner-up leveled Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-3 on Day 4 at the Olympic Tennis Courts. The Russian Kirilenko lost to American star Venus Williams in last year's finale here.

All four singles matches on Wednesday's schedule at the Hansol Korea Open were completed before rain set in, although doubles matches had to be abandoned. Among those who passed their second round tests at the Tier IV event was Shahar Peer, who was the only seed in action and is also the last one left in the bottom half of the draw.
 

Second seed Shahar Peer advanced to the third round of the Hansol Korea Open on Wednesday courtesy of a straight-sets victory over Ayumi Morita.
 
The 21-year-old Israeli beat the Japanese qualifier 6-4 7-5 and will next face American Jill Craybas, who eliminated Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 7-6 (7/1) 6-2.
Russia's Ekaterina Makarova also progressed on Wednesday with a 6-3 6-2 triumph over Klara Zakopalova of Czech Republic.
 

It was a mixed day for the seeds at the Hansol Korea Open on Tuesday, with two of the Tier IV event's top eight falling in their first round matches. Although two wildcards departed, the tournament's qualifiers mostly fared better, with three out of four moving through to the second round.
 

Top-seeded and 2007 runner-up Maria Kirilenko was among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $145,000 hardcourt Korea Open.

Kirilenko leveled helpless Slovakian Lenka Wienerova 6-2, 6-0 on Day 2 at the Olympic Tennis Courts. Kirilenko was last year's runner-up here to American superstar Venus Williams, who is not defending her title this week.

Up next for Kirilenko will be Czech Lucie Safarova.