Elena Dementieva has shrugged off suggestions she is the favourite to win the women's title at the Australian Open after she extended her winning run to 14 matches with an easy 6-2 6-2 fourth-round win over Dominika Cibulkova. With the world No 1 Jelena Jankovic, the fifth seed Ana Ivanovic and the sixth seed Venus Williams all falling by the wayside, attention has turned to the Russian fourth seed as a leading contender for the crown, with the third seed Dinara Safina saying she is the one to beat. But Dementieva, who has already won warm-up tournaments in Auckland and Sydney, was less certain. "I don't think so, because Dinara herself looks like she's in a good shape. She's made the biggest improvement since last year, so she's probably the favourite to win," the 27-year-old said.
"But there is still Serena (Williams), and there are a lot of good players here. It's going to be a tough competition. "I'm not thinking who's the favourite; I'm just trying to take one match at a time and be focused and play my best." Dementieva will play the unheralded Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter-finals after she overcame fellow Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-2. Suarez Navarro, who upset Venus Williams in the second round, has equalled her best result in a grand slam after also reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open last year. "I think she's a very tough player. She plays a very unique style of game, you know - a lot of spin. It's going to be a tough match, I think, for me," Dementieva said.
"She had a very good win against Venus Williams here. She was very solid today on the court. "I was watching her playing the French Open last year when she qualified and played in the quarters, beating Amelie Mauresmo. I think she's got a lot of talent, and she's physically very fit. So, I'm not surprised to be facing her." Suarez Navarro, ranked 46 in the world, believes her experience at Roland Garros, where she lost to Jelena Jankovic, will help her against Dementieva. "I think the next round is a very difficult match. Dementieva is a very good player," she said. "But it's different this time because it's the second time I've been in a grand slam quarter-final. "I think I can play better than the first time against Jankovic at Roland Garros." Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova will play each other in the quarter-finals after the retirements of Victoria Azarenka and Jie Zheng, respectively, in their fourth-round matches. Azarenka won the first set 6-3 against the second seed Williams but at 3-2 down in the second the 13th seed from Belarus took a medical time-out and left the court. She returned to play another game and a half but, looking visibly distressed, she was unable to continue and had to be helped from Rod Laver Arena. "I started really feeling sick in the morning and I was throwing up all the morning and just felt weak," Azarenka said. "Once I got to the court, I went to see the doctor and I felt a little bit better throughout the first set and a little bit of the second but then I just had no more energy to go on." Kuznetsova was 4-1 up in the first set of her match when Zheng retired with a wrist injury after falling in the third game and landing awkwardly on her hand. "It was unfortunate she had an injury," Kuznetsova said. "But I think I started to play well. I've been attacking her serve. I think I was in control of the match." Williams said of her next opponent: "I haven't played her that much in my career, but she's a good player, obviously, and gets a ton of balls back. "She's extremely strong. I think we have a similar game. I think it will be a great match." *PA Sport