BBC SPORT | Tennis | Hantuchova bounces back

Thursday's results from Zurich

Daniela Hantuchova survived three nail-biting sets to defeat Russia's Elena Dementieva in the Swisscom Challenge.

The Slovakian saved four match points to eventually beat Dementieva 3-6 7-6 7-6.

Hantuchova had looked unconvincing on the Zurich courts, losing the first set and going 5-3 down in the second.

However, she dug deep and took advantage of Dementieva's inability to produce under pressure to book her place in the quarter-finals.

It means a lot, fighting back like that

Daniela Hantuchova

Dementieva had three chances to break Hantuchova in the third set but she failed to make them count.

Despite those let-offs, the seventh seed made hard work of the tie-break before clinching victory on her fourth match point.

The match lasted almost three hours and Hantuchova admitted it was tough.

"It was one of the longest matches I've ever played and it's never happened to me, saving four match points to win," she said.

Kim Clijsters is relieved to make the last eight
Kim Clijsters beat Amanda Coetzer in Zurich
"So it means a lot, fighting back like that. It's given me a lot of confidence."

The tournament organisers will be relieved that Hantuchova is through to the last eight.

Earlier, world number four Amelie Mauresmo pulled out of the event with a sore knee.

Top seed Jennifer Capriati had already been dispatched on Wednesday by veteran Conchita Martinez.

Conchita crushes Capriati

And on Thursday night, Yugoslav fifth seed Jelena Dokic was beaten 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 7-5 by Alexandra Stevenson.

The American bombarded Dokic with 16 aces and, although she served up 19 double faults, she outlasted her opponent in a tight deciding set.

Stevenson said: "It wasn't very good tennis, I had a lot of errors.

"But I pulled it out and that's good. In the third set I was happy to serve well, that was the plan."

Kim Clijsters, seeded sixth, joined Hantuchova in the quarters after she easily defeated Amanda Coetzer 6-1 6-1.

And Switzerland's Patty Schnyder beat Russian Elena Bovina 2-6 6-4 6-3.


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