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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, June 25, 2009

Tennis: Kuznetsova questions court placings at Wimbledon


CLARE LOVELL
Associated Press Writer

WIMBLEDON, England — French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova certainly played like a champion today in dispatching Pauline Parmentier at Wimbledon. She's just not sure she's being treated like one.

Kuznetsova questioned the court placings at the tournament after winning her second-round match 6-1, 6-3 in 59 minutes playing on Court 3. Despite coming off a victory at Roland Garros, Kuznetsova played her opening-round match Tuesday on Court 14.

The schedule Thursday had top-ranked Dinara Safina playing on Court 2, while the only women's match on Centre Court was ninth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki's win over Maria Kirilenko.

"I'm fine to put me wherever they want," said Kuznetsova, who also won the 2004 U.S. Open. "They don't have to put me Centre Court. But this is a little bit weird. If you look at the schedule, it's not about only me. It's about Dinara playing on Court 2, Venus (Williams) plays on Court 1 and girls who are not very high seeded, they play Centre."

Not that the Russian is unhappy at the All England Club.

"In Wimbledon you have to expect anything," said Kuznetsova, who beat compatriot Dinara Safina in the Paris final. "That's why it's special for everybody. It's special for me, as well. That's why I like it, because it's unpredictable."

Safina also criticized the court assignments.

"Of course it's not fair," Safina said. "Hopefully next match I'll play on bigger court."

Kuznetsova didn't seem bothered by the smaller court during her match, dominating from the start and breaking her opponent twice in each set. She never faced a break point and sealed the win when Parmentier sent a forehand long.

Kuznetsova next plays Sabine Lisicki of Germany. But for now, her attention is more focused on birthday presents — both for herself and her mother. Kuznetsova turns 24 on Saturday, and she needs to atone for missing her mother's birthday earlier this year.

"I want to go shopping and see London. I need just two, three hours to spend some cash," she said. "This year I was so terrible. ... My mom had a birthday, I didn't buy anything. My good friend had a birthday, I didn't buy. I'm like, 'Yeah, yeah, I'm giving you a present soon. I am working on it.' I look embarrassed, so I need to go and get some presents."