NCAA Basketball betting

Svetlana Kuznetsova overpowered qualifier Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia in straight sets Saturday.

Svetlana Kuznetsova overpowered qualifier Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia in straight sets Saturday. To ensure an all-Russian final at the WTA Pan Pacific Open.

Fifth-seeded Kuznetsova defeated Srebotnik 7-6 (5), 6-2 and will face the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal between Russians Dinara Safina and Nadia Petrova.

After a closely contested first set, Kuznetsova took control in the second set, breaking Srebotnik three times.

Kuznetsova broke Srebotnik with a backhand down the line in the seventh game to go ahead 5-2.

She held a 40-love lead in the final game but Srebotnik fought back to deuce, but Kuznetsova won it with a serve on her fourth match point.

Kuznetsova beat top-seeded Jelena Jankovic to reach Saturday’s semifinal. Srebotnik upset Olympic gold medalist and third-seeded Elena Dementieva.

Kuznetsova, who won the U.S. Open in 2004, will be bidding for her first title of 2008. Her last Tier I singles title was in 2006 in Miami.

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China trails New Zealand 2-1 after doubles win.

Zeng Shaoxuan and Yu Xinyuan beat New Zealand’s Dan King-Turner and G. D. Jones 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in doubles Saturday to keep China’s hopes alive in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group Two final.

Trailing 2-0 in the regional tie after Friday’s opening singles, China had to win the doubles. Zeng and Yu broke the New Zealand pair to take a 4-3 lead in the fourth set and then held serve the rest of the way on indoor hard courts at TSB Stadium.

On Friday, New Zealand’s Rubin Statham beat Bai Yan 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 and King-Turner defeated Peng Sun 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

King-Turner is scheduled to play Bai and Peng will take on Statham in reverse singles Sunday. The winner of the series will be promoted to Asia-Oceania Group One in 2009.