By Adrianna Outlaw
© Tony Chang

(January 21,2011) Vera Zvonareva degenerated into a defensive posture at times and survived a second-set stumble, but still had enough game to dispatch Lucie Safarova, 6-3, 7-6(9) and advance to the Australian Open fourth round for the fourth time in the past five years.

"I think once you spend so many years on the tour and you really learn from it, also you really understand that here it is, here is your Grand Slam, that's where you have to give your hundred percent, that's where you have to fight," Zvonareva said. "Nothing is easy. Every single opponent is very tough. You just try to fight through every match. This kind of tournaments, that's what you train for, that's what you practice for, and that's basically your only chances. I think I'm really enjoying it. I'm really enjoying that challenge, and I think that helps a lot."

Zvonareva, who was Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up last year, has won 15 of her last 17 Grand Slam matches. She will face either compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Iveta Benesova for a place in the quarterfinals.

The World No. 2 can surpass Caroline Wozniacki for the top spot in the rankings if she takes the title and Wozniacki loses before the semifinals.

Facing the left-handed Safarova, whose boyfriend Tomas Berdych was on hand to show support in the friends' box, for the first time, Zvonareva used her ball-control attack to run the slower-footed Czech around the court in the opening set.

Zvonareva blasted a backhand crosscourt to earn fourth set point. She smacked a serve down the T to coax an errant return and seize the first set in 34 minutes.

Serving for match at 5-4, Zvonareva double faulted into net to drop to break point. Safarova slapped a backhand winner down the line to break back for 5-5. But Safarova could not consolidate and double faulted to hand back the break as Zvonareva earned a 6-5 lead.

Again she served for the match and again Zvonareva faltered, surrendering serve as the set escalated into the tie breaker.

Safarova belted a series of penetrating forehands and capped the point with a forehand winner down the line to seize a 4-2 lead. The lean Czech collected a set point at 6-5, but buried a backhand into net. Safarova would squander another set point and saved two match points.

On her third match point Zvonareva sealed the match with a lob that befuddled Safarova.

"The level of my game, if you would compare today's match to my first match, I think I was playing a different level already. I still think there's still room for improvement," Zvonareva said. "And there are those situations I have been in today where I had my chances and didn't use them, and then we had to go into this long second set. That's something that I will definitely have to improve for the next matches. I will definitely have to step up and keep my game throughout the whole match, especially at this stage of the tournament."