Russian cutie pie, Elena Dementieva, cherishes her victory over Maria Sharapova in the 2009 WTA Rogers Cup held Aug. 17-23, 2009 in Toronto Canada. Dementieva and Sharapova are both from Russia. It was the first time in the 117-year tournament history that the Rogers Cup had an all-Russian Final. Dementieva was the 4th seed in the tournament. Sharapova was unseeded.
After a first round bye, Dementieva defeated No. 68 ranked Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 6-3, 6-2 in round two. Round three was a see-saw match in which Dementieva overcame a bad second set to defeat No. 63 ranked Shahar Peer of Israel, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. After a close first set in the Quarterfinals, she was able to defeat No. 15 ranked Samantha Stosur of Australia, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-3.
The Semifinal match pitted Dementieva against a tough opponent, No. 2 ranked Serena Williams of the USA. The first set went to a tie-break, which Dementieva won 7-2. In the final set, Dementieva was all business, dismissing Williams 6-1.
The Final match against fellow countrywoman, Maria Sharapova, was a straight-sets victory for Dementieva, 6-4, 6-3. This was the first time Dementieva or Sharapova had reached the Final of the Rogers Cup.
It was a great confidence builder for Dementieva heading into the US Open next week. Look for Dementieva to be tough to beat, especially since the last three Rogers Cup female champions have gone on to win the US Open.
