Wozniak advances to semis of MPS

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida -- Fifth-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak of Blaineville, Que., outlasted Tamira Paszek of Austria 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7) to advance to the semifinals of The MPS Group Championships on Friday.

She will play on Saturday against top-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova, who defeated Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Wozniak blew a 5-2 lead in the third set and double-faulted on her first match point before ousting Paszek.

The Canadian, nursing an injury to her right shoulder, led 6-5 in the tiebreaker before the double fault. After an exchange of points, Paszek put two balls wide to give Wozniak the win.

"I got tight and that's what led to the double fault," Wozniak said. "But, you have to fight your nerves and just stay strong, especially in a tiebreaker."

Petrova led in the tiebreaker, but Bondarenko hit a forehand winner and Petrova put a forehand into the net to make it 6-5. Bondarenko lost when she hit a backhand into the net.

"I will gain confidence from this and that is what I have been lacking," said Petrova, who developed blisters on her feet during the match.

"I just want to put them in a bucket of ice," she said.

Petrova fell behind 3-0 in the third set before rallying to tie it 6-6.