Open at the Forest Hills Classic, after receiving a first-round bye, she began well with victories over world No. 68, Séverine Brémond, and Japanese world No. 52, Aiko Nakamura, to reach her career-first WTA-level semifinal, but then lost to Virginie Razzano. Entering the US Open, Vesnina was drawn to play world No. 89 Jelena Kostanić in the first round, but lost to her in straight sets. The following week, representing Russia in the 2007 Fed Cup final against Italy, Vesnina avenged her straight sets defeat by Mara Santangelo in their only previous meeting, by outplaying world No. 34 to win in straight sets herself. Towards the end of the month, the Russian could reach only the second round of the Slovenia Open before she succumbed to Gisela Dulko. Returning to the Tashkent Open in October ranked 61st in the world, Vesnina reached the semifinals with victories over Alberta Brianti, Tatiana Poutchek, and Romanian youngster Ioana Raluca Olaru, but at this stage, she lost Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka. At the Kremlin Cup, she lost once again to Czech world No. 13, Nicole Vaidišová, in the second round. At her last two tournaments of the year were the Zurich Open and Linz Open she failed to qualify, losing to American Meilen Tu and German Sandra Klösel. She ended the year at No. 54, ten spots lower than the previous year. 2008 Back in Australia for the beginning of the new season early in January, Vesnina suffered a poor start with a three-set loss in the first round at Gold Coast to an Australian wild card then ranked just 158th in the world, Monique Adamczak. Having failed to defend the points accrued from her quarterfinal finish at Gold Coast a year previously, she found her ranking slipping to 60th. But she mostly made up for it by reaching the quarterfinals at Hobart the following week with wins over world No. 48, Akiko Morigami, and Nuria Llagostera Vives. But her quarterfinal opponent, world No. 23 Vera Zvonareva, had the better of her. Entering the Australian Open for the third year running, now ranked 55th, Vesnina enjoyed a marginally more successful run than she had done in 2007, in reaching the third round with successive wins over world No. 31, Julia Vakulenko, and world No. 98, Jill Craybas. However, there was no stopping eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the third round. Vesnina emerged from the