Williams survives Rezai scare to reach Sydney final

Sydney: Serena Williams survived a scare from France`s Aravane Rezai on Thursday before booking her spot in the final of the Sydney International.

The world number one was teetering on the brink of defeat after losing the first set and trailing 5-2 in the second when she suddenly raised her game to win the semi-final 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.Williams was well below her best in the first half of the contest but her determined fightback was an ominous sign of her intentions heading into next week`s Australian Open. Her opponent in Friday`s final at the Olympic tennis centre will be the winner of Thursday`s second semi-final between Russia`s defending champion Elena Dementieva and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. While there was disappointment for Rezai, France were at least assured of a place in the men`s final after Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteu both won their quarter-finals. Gasquet, who resumed playing this month after being cleared over a positive cocaine test, defeated Italy`s Potito Starace 6-3, 7-6 while Benneteau beat Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-4, 6-7, 6-0. "I had so many things very hard to do last year, so now I play for fun," Gasquet said. "I try my best to win, and that`s the most important for me."The pair will play each other in Friday`s semi-finals while Lleyton Hewitt meets Marcos Baghdatis and Mardy Fish faces Peter Luczak in the remaining quarter-finals. Bureau Report