Mattek finally wearing look of winner

Bethanie Mattek first drew attention to herself when she wore a leopard print outfit at the 2004 U.S. Open. A year later she was fined for sporting a striped cowboy hat, and she has come up with a bold new uniform for the Open every year since.

With zero WTA singles titles to her name, those outfits have brought her more publicity than her tennis.

After defeating Olga Govortsova, 7-5, 6-2, Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the East West Bank Classic at the Home Depot Center, Mattek hopes that is about to change.

“I really wanted my tennis to do more of the talking than my outfits since I’ve gotten so much publicity for that,” Mattek said.

While the 23-year-old from Rochester, Minn., has been ranked as high as 21st in the world in doubles, she has never made it to a singles final at a WTA event.

However, in the last few weeks she has toned down her attire and seen her play get to new levels, reaching the semifinals at Birmingham, England, and the fourth round at Wimbledon.

“I had a great couple months so far and I’m excited for this U.S. Open series,” Mattek said. “I really don’t have that many points to defend from last year.”

Mattek credits her recent climb in the rankings -- she was at No. 55 coming into the event -- to improved fitness.

“I’m able to run for a full match, play three sets and play the next day,” she said.

She will need that this week as she plays both singles and doubles each day. Three hours after beating Govortsova, Mattek took the court to play doubles.

Mattek will face China’s Yuan Meng in a quarterfinal today. Yuan, ranked No. 122, defeated Melanie South of Britain, 6-2, 6-3, Thursday, to reach the quarterfinals of a WTA event for the first time in her career.

Third-seeded Anna Chakvetadze was not so fortunate, falling to Sybille Bammer of Austria, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Chakvetadze, who was ranked as high as No. 5 in the world last year, struggled with her serve.

With Chakvetadze eliminated, No. 14 Bammer and No. 10 Flavia Pennetta, who play each other today, are the only seeded players left on Mattek’s side of the draw.

The other side of the draw has played out mostly as expected. Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic advanced after beating Melinda Czink of Hungary, 6-3, 6-2, and today will face No. 9 Nadia Petrova, who beat No. 5 Vera Zvonareva, 6-4, 7-5.

Jankovic, who overcame a tough start the previous day against Vania King, pointed to improvements in her serve Thursday.

“Wasn’t that great?” she said. “I was like, this game is amazing. If I could serve every day like that my life would be so much easier.”

Today’s other quarterfinal will feature No. 4 Dinara Safina and No. 8 Victoria Azarenka. Safina struggled past fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva, 7-6 (1), 0-6, 7-6 (3); Azarenka, of Belarus, defeated Samantha Stosur of Australia, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

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Featured matches

Today at the East West Bank Classic (seedings in parentheses):

Jelena Jankovic (1) vs. Nadia Petrova (9), not before 8 p.m.

Doubles, Eva Hrdinova/Vladimira Uhlirova vs. Ayumi Morita/Ai Sugiyama, following the first match.