Sport - Tennis

Dokic eases into last eight

BIRMINGHAM JUNE 14. Top seed Jelena Dokic cruised into the quarterfinals of the $170,000 WTA tournament at Edgbaston with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russia's Elena Likhovtseva.

The 19-year-old Yugoslav star admitted she was surprised by how quickly she had adapted to the grass-court game two weeks before Wimbledon. ``Considering how much I've played on grass I'm very pleased,'' Dokic said. ``I've had two matches on grass now and I'm beginning to put a little more pressure on.''

Dokic - whose father Damir was banned from the US Open in 2000 for his outrageous outbursts at court officials - said her impressive form was due to the presence of her mother. ``When my father is with me he deals with all the tennis and leaves the rest up to me. My mother deals with the rest and leaves the tennis up to me,'' said Dokic. ``She has looked after my laundry, food, sleeping and clothes. I don't have to pack my bags in the morning any more.''

Dokic will now face Elena Danillidou after the Greek star defeated Japan's Ai Sugiyama, the 11th seed, 6-4, 6-2.

Earlier, Britain's Julie Pullin came within two points of taking the first set off Bulgaria's Magdalena Maleeva. The British No. 1 had a simple chance to shock the third seed, but the 26-year-old fluffed a simple forehand which would have given her set point.

Maleeva took advantage of Pullin's mistake to save the set and then obliterated the British player to reach the quarterfinals with a 7-6, 6-0 victory.

Despite the loss, Pullin was pleased with her performance and was hoping to transfer her grass-court form to Wimbledon later this month

The results:

Nicole Pratt bt Sandrine Testud 6-4, 6-1; Anastasia Myskina bt Alexandra Stevenson 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Magdalena Maleeva bt Julie Pullin 7-6, 6-0; Jelena Dokic bt Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-2; Elena Danillidou bt Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-2.

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