Three-time Australian Open tennis champion Serena Williams was yesterday dumped out of the Sydney International in straight sets by red-hot Russian Elena Dementieva.
Dementieva, winner of last week's ASB Classic in Auckland, ensured an all-Russian final in Sydney for the first time by thrashing the world No 26-3, 6-1, her third-straight win over Williams.
In the earlier semifinal played in 40C-plus temperatures, Dinara Safina battled to a 6-4, 7-6 win over Japan's Ai Sugiyama.
Dementieva took just one hour and eight minutes to defeat Williams.
But Williams was bullish in defeat, saying she still felt she could make a significant impact in Melbourne next week.
"I gave it away more than anything," she said of the loss.
"I made a lot of errors and made her look like a champ, really."
Today's match-up between Dementieva and Safina is a rematch of last year's Olympic gold medal match, won by Dementieva in three sets.
In fact Dementieva is enjoying a purple patch against her compatriots, also beating Elena Vesnina in the Auckland final last Saturday.
But she lost in the French Open semifinals last year to Safina, leaving the world No 4 wary of getting too confident.
"I'm just very excited being in the final here for the first time," she said.
"It's going to be my second final of the year, so it's great, you know.
"I realise how tough it's going to be to play against Dinara tomorrow. She's in great shape right now."
The 27-year-old, regarded as one of the best players on tour to have not yet won a Grand Slam, has now won nine straight matches in 2009.
