TOP-SEEDED SAFINA BEATS HANTUCHOVA IN DEBUT AS DEFENDING CHAMP; SHARAPOVA RALLIES TO BEAT AZARENKA IN THREE SETS AT L.A. WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS PRESENTED BY HERBALIFE

CARSON, Calif., (Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009) - Defending champion Dinara Safina's U.S. hardcourt season began with a bang Wednesday night as the No. 1 player in the world had little trouble with 2005 runner-up Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 6-2, 6-4, during the second round of the $700,000 2009 LA Women's Tennis Championships presented by Herbalife.

"She's a dangerous player," said Safina, who holds a 6-4 career advantage over Hantuchova. "I know what I have to do. I just have to go out there and be aggressive, there is no other way for me. The only chance I can beat her is play my game and be aggressive."

Safina takes center stage on Thursday as she meets China's Jie Zheng in the 7 p.m. evening Round of 16 match.

In an intriguing second-round match, Maria Sharapova grinded out a two-hour, 32-minute win over Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2. In their only other meeting, the recently turned 20 Azarenka beat Sharapova in Moscow in 2007 in straight sets.

"She's had a great year and I'm happy with the way I stayed with her," said Sharapova of Azarenka, who beat Serena Williams to win the Sony Ericsson Miami tournament in April. "I think that was sort of the difference. I think I've done a really good job of playing different opponents and working on the things that need to be adjusted."

Sharapova will next play Thursday in the third match against Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine, a player she lost to in her first match back this year in Poland after 10 months off the circuit because of shoulder surgery. "I don't like losing to the same person twice in a row," Sharapova said. "I lost to her in Poland my first match back so I'm looking forward to playing her tomorrow."

The final match was a fourth consecutive third-set night match and second straight night match that ended in a third-set tiebreaker as No. 4-seeded Caroline Wozniacki was beaten by world No. 28 ranked Sorana Cirstea of Romania, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Cirstea, 19, eliminated Wozniacki in the French Open where she made it all the way to the quarterfinals.

Good Luck Radwanskas From the LA Polish Cosulate

The media center received a call on Wednesday from the Polish Consulate. The assistant of the Polish Consulate on the phone wanted to pass on well wishes to Polish sisters Urszula and Agnieszka Radwanska from the Consulate General herself Paulina Kapuscinska. "We are crossing our fingers that they win and will support them all the way during their stay in Los Angeles." The Radwanskas both won their matches with younger sister Urszula beating No. 7 seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4 while the No. 8 seeded Agnieszka had an easier time with Ai Sugiyama, 6-2, 6-1.

Safina Qualifies for Sony Ericsson Championships

World No. 1 Dinara Safina is the first player to qualify for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, set to take place for the second year in a row at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, from Oct. 27-Nov. 1, 2009. The world's top eight singles players and top four doubles teams from the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season will compete for the coveted Sony Ericsson Championships title and a share of the record Championships prize money of $4.45 million. (See photo attached).

Wednesday's Scores

Second round singles -- Dinara Safina (1), Russia, def. Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia, 6-2, 6-4; Nadia Petrova (6), Russia, def. Shahar Peer, Israel, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3; Urszula Radwanska, Poland, def. Dominika Cibulkova (7), Slovakia, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4; Agnieszka Radwanska (8), Poland, def. Ai Sugiyama, Japan, 6-2, 6-1; Flavia Pennetta (10), Italy, def. CoCo Vandeweghe, U.S., 6-2, 6-4; Samantha Stosur (13), Australia, def. Maria Kirilenko, Russia, 6-2, 6-4; Jie Zheng (14), China, def. Elena Vesnina, Russia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0; Anna Chakvetadze, Russia, def. Alisa Kleybanova, Russia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, def. Jill Craybas, U.S., 7-6 (2), 6-1; Na Li (12), China, def. Aleksandra Wozniak, Canada, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine, def. Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5; Sabine Lisicki, Germany, Ekaterina Makarova, Russia, 6-1, 6-4; Maria Sharapova, Russia, def. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2; Sorana Cirstea, Romania, def. Caroline Wozniacki (4), Denmark, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

First round doubles -- Su-Wei Hsieh, Taipei-Shuai Peng, China (4) def. Tatiana Poutchek, Belarus-Olga Savchuk, Ukraine, 6-2, 6-3; Vania King, U.S.-Monica Niculescu, Romania, def. Flavia Pennetta, Italy-Lisa Raymond, U.S., 7-5, 6-3; Samantha Stosur, Australia-Rennae Stubbs, Australia, def. Virginia Ruano Pascual, Spain-Jie Zheng, China, 6-4, 6-4; Maria Kirilenko, Russia-Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 6-2, 4-6, 1-0.

ORDER OF PLAY - THURSDAY, AUGUST 06, 2009

STADIUM start 11:00 am
Y Wickmayer (BEL) vs [2] V Zvonareva (RUS)
Not Before 12:30 PM
[13] S Stosur (AUS) vs [6] A Ivanovic (SRB)
A Bondarenko (UKR) vs M Sharapova (RUS)
[4] C Wozniacki (DEN) or S Cirstea (ROU) vs [17] S Lisicki (GER)
Not Before 7:00 PM
[1] D Safina (RUS) vs [14] J Zheng (CHN)
C Chuang (TPE) / Z Yan (CHN) vs [2] D Hantuchova (SVK) / A Sugiyama (JPN)

COURT 4 start 11:00 am
A Chakvetadze (RUS) vs [8] A Radwanska (POL)
Not Before 12:30 PM
[5] N Petrova (RUS) vs [10] F Pennetta (ITA)
U Radwanska (POL) vs [12] N Li (CHN)
T Garbin (ITA) / F Schiavone (ITA) vs V King (USA) / M Niculescu (ROU)

COURT 5 start 3:30 pm
[1] S Stosur (AUS) / R Stubbs (AUS) vs M Kirilenko (RUS) / A Radwanska (POL) - After suitable rest

Post-Match Quotes

Defending champion Dinara Safina:

"It was a good match for being my first match back here in America. I think she had an advantage playing yesterday. It was a solid match I didn't do anything spectacular. This is the third time we've played this year and we've played on all different surfaces (Safina won both previous on clay and grass). In the crucial moments I was more aggressive today. I take one match at a time. From this match I can build and better my game tomorrow.

On how her game has changed: "I'm more mature. Before I would play average and be down on myself, be negative. Now I'm positive even if I'm not playing my best game. I tried to forget as soon as possible the previous point and focus on the next point. I had to learn this last year, this year is very different. It comes naturally. She's a dangerous player. I know what I have to do. I just have to go out there and be aggressive, there is no other way for me. The only chance I can beat her is play my game and be aggressive."

Maria Sharapova:

"I had so many chances to win the first set and chances to close games and I didn't. I had a break point in the first set and she hit a 79 mile per hour pea shooter and I hit it inside the service line and she took control after that. I was able to win the second and play a solid third. You expect that against her because she's a great retriever. I had to come in with a good game plan and needed to change a few things and did a good job adjusting. It was important to take those things and use them to my advantage.

"I knew that going in to this match that I was going to have to dig deep and just hang tough and stay in there. I learned a great deal, gave myself another chance to play tomorrow. She's had a great year and I'm happy with the way I stayed with her. I think that was sort of the difference. I think I've done a really good job of paying different opponents and working on the things that need to be adjusted. Being in LA it feels great. I have a great support system here and it feels like home."

Victoria Azarenka:

I just let go of the beginning of both sets. It was too many mistakes and tough to come back from when you're not playing real well. My game wasn't there today. It's tough to enjoy it out there when you're not playing well. It was a close match, I just have to learn from it. For me every match is a big deal. Every tournament, every match is serious. I'm very disappointed. I just have to work hard and play more.

On Maria:

"She's a great player. She still has her game. It doesn't matter she was out for a year."

Flavia Pennetta:

"I think I was playing pretty good today. I didn't make too many mistakes, my serve was very good and my returns were good. This was her second match at this tournament, which is a big tournament so there is a lot of pressure on her as well. I like this tournament a lot and I like to play here. Last year was the first time I won two matches in a row. I have come here for so many years and I had never won one match. Everything has changed now. I feel very comfortable on the court now. I know my next match will be very tough, but I will do my best."

Tickets & Daily Promotions

Individual tickets are on sale now, starting at just $25. The tournament is also offering a special "Buy One, Get One Free All-Week Pass," which includes tickets to all 13 sessions of play. Throughout the week, fans can enjoy daily promotions and events, including:

1. Thursday: USTA Member Appreciation Night discounts
2. Friday: Mini-Fan and Keychain giveaway
3. Saturday: Semifinals and Fireworks Celebration under the stars
4. Sunday: Finals and Dunlop hat giveaway

This Week's Television Times Tennis Channel

• Friday, Aug. 7 8:00 PM (LIVE)
• Saturday, Aug. 8 7:00 PM (LIVE)
• Sunday, Aug. 9 2:00 PM (DELAY)