VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Teenager Nicole Vaidisova rallied from a
1-4 deficit in the third set to beat fellow Czech Klara Koukalova
4-6, 6-1, 6-4 Wednesday night at the Advanta Championships.
The 16-year-old Vaidisova extended her career-long winning
streak to 17 matches, but said that is not a factor in her play.
"I don't really follow that too much," Vaidisova said.
"Obviously, I won a couple of tournaments and I beat a couple of
great players, but it's a new tournament."
After losing handily in the first set, Vaidisova rebounded to
dominate the second set before falling behind 1-4 in the third. She
quickly recovered, holding serve and winning five straight games to
advance.
"It was up and down the whole time," said Vaidisova, who
improved to 26-2 in matches lasting three sets. "I just kept
fighting (in the third set). I just told myself to try and anything
could happen, and I turned it around somehow."
Vaidisova, ranked 19th, advances to face the winner of
Thursday's match between American Lisa Raymond and Germany's
Stephanie Gehrlein.
Gehrlein took the place of Maria Sharapova, ranked No. 2, when
she withdrew from the tournament Tuesday with a right hand injury.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals was American Mashona
Washington, who defeated Russia's Tatiana Panova 7-6(4), 6-3.
Washington will face the winner of Thursday's match between
defending champion Amelie Mauresmo and Japan's Ai Sugiyama.
Mauresmo, ranked fourth, is the highest remaining seed in the
tournament and is 7-0 lifetime against Sugiyama.
In other second-round action, fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva
beat Angelika Bachmann 6-3, 6-4, and Martina Sucha defeated
American Angela Haynes 6-3, 6-1.
Dementieva, ranked eighth, will face the winner of a match
between Kveta Peschke and Sesil Karatantcheva.
Last week, Peschke upset the second-seeded Dementieva at the
Generali Ladies Linz tournament, prompting Dementieva to say she
had given up any hope of qualifying for next week's WTA
Championships in Los Angeles. But if Dementieva reaches the
semifinals here, she'll be invited to Los Angeles.
"I hope she wins," Dementieva said of Peschke. "I think she's
a great player, and I'd like another chance against her. There is
extra motivation for me ... knowing that I have a chance to play
next week."