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Venus wins battle of former champions
Wimbledon, July 02: Venus Williams won a battle of former champions by wearing down fellow American Lindsay Davenport 6-2 2-6 6-1 to stride into the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday (July 1).
Wimbledon, July 02: Venus Williams won a battle of former champions by wearing down fellow American Lindsay Davenport 6-2 2-6 6-1 to stride into the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday (July 1).
Fourth seed Venus, the winner here in 2000 and 2001, reached her fourth consecutive semi-final at the All England Club after finally overpowering Davenport from the baseline to set up a showdown with second seed Kim Clijsters.
Having spent a frustrating year in the shadows of younger sister Serena, who has won four of the last five grand slam titles, the 23-year-old had to search deep into her reserves to get out of trouble against a determined Davenport.
The duo had locked horns on 21 previous occasions, with the elder of the Williams sisters leading 11-10, and the predicted baseline slugging match duly materialised.
Fifth seed and 1999 winner Davenport entered the arena hoping to overturn a five-match losing streak against her opponent, but she was unable to withstand the Venus blitz early in the match.
Venus started the contest in ominous form as dark clouds hung low over a chilly Centre Court. She easily held serve with two scorching aces before breaking for a 2-0 lead by forcing Davenport to miscue a backhand long on break point when heavy showers halted play.
Unperturbed by the 80-minute break, Venus clubbed the 1999 champion from the baseline in the opening set as Davenport's forehand rapidly started to collapse.
Venus broke the brittle Davenport serve for the third time in the match to claim the first set with a blazing forehand crosscourt winner. But Davenport refused to surrender her own title hopes and frustrated Venus in the second with a flurry of blistering groundstrokes.
After working her way to a 3-1 lead, Davenport had to counter Venus's astounding service returns in the sixth game to stave off three break points and maintain her advantage.
Pumping her fist and urging herself to stay in the hunt, Davenport withstood the attack before levelling the match after Venus floated a service return long.
Both players were now on uncharted territory in this year's championships as they had each reached the last eight without dropping a set.
While the rallies became more intense, it was Venus who supplied the first blow in the fourth game.
Davenport fired what she thought had been a second serve, only for it to be called long. Clearly distracted by the call, Davenport guided an easy forehand wide on the next point to drop her serve as Venus shrieked in delight.
That effectively ended the fifth seed's chances as she failed to win another game. The world number four kept her nerve in a high-octane final set to seal victory after one hour 27 minutes with a bludgeoning smash.
Clijsters survived a major scare, and a bee sting, before marching into her first Wimbledon singles semi-final on Tuesday, defeating Silvia Farina Elia 5-7 6-0 6-1.
The world number two had only dropped 12 games in reaching the last eight, but she was made to work overtime against a 31-year-old Italian enjoying her best run here on her 12th consecutive appearance.
"It's a good feeling to be to be in another semi and especially here," said the twice French Open runner-up, who will face Venus Williams for a place in the final.
"This grand slam means a lot to me and overall I'm really happy with the my level has been here.
"Against Venus, I'll have to serve well from the start as it's difficult to break her back. I'll have to be aggressive myself."
She squandered three set points on her way to dropping a rain-interrupted first set -- her first of the tournament.
Clijsters later said she had been stung by a bee at 5-4 up, which caused her some discomfort.
"I got this bee sting right in my stomach and didn't know if I was supposed to called the trainer or not," she said. "It's never happened to me before...(but) it was painful. I can still feel it."
But the 20-year-old Clijsters finally got to grips with her cagey opponent and rattled off 12 of the next 13 games. Farina, who made her Wimbledon debut when Clijsters was eight, had never reached a grand slam quarter-final before but she looked far from overawed against the hard-hitting Belgian.
After rain sent the players scuttling for cover at 2-2 in the first set, the Italian returned in determined mood and promptly broke serve.
Clijsters hit back immediately and after serving two booming aces to lead 5-4, she was gifted three set points as the first cracks began to appear in Farina's stubborn resistance.
From 0-40, however, the Italian -- coached by her husband Francesco -- played an inspired game to hold serve, saving one set point after a ferocious baseline rally that drew gasps from an appreciative crowd.
A rattled and, by her own account, ailing Clijsters then dumped a routine volley into the bottom of the net to lose her own serve and Farina Elia made no mistake in serving out the set.
But that was as good as it got though for the lady from Rome, the first Italian woman since Laura Golarsa in 1989 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
She lost her depth and second seed Clijsters, bidding for her first grand slam title and the world number one spot, punished her ruthlessly.
With her venomous groundstrokes finally firing, the Belgian sped through the second set in 20 minutes with boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt nodding his approval in the stands.
It was a similar story in the third as Clijsters showed exactly why she has bagged four titles this year and she wrapped up victory in one hour 24 minutes.
Top seed Serena Williams dug herself out of trouble against fellow American Jennifer Capriati on Tuesday, winning 2-6 6-2 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the third time in the last four years.
Capriati was the last player to beat Serena at Wimbledon -- at the same stage in 2001 -- and a repeat looked on the cards when she romped through the first set in 27 minutes against a strangely wayward Serena.
But the defending champion suddenly clicked into gear and after she broke serve with a bludgeoning backhand to lead 3-2 in the second set, the tide began to turn.
She raced through the next six games to lead 3-0 in the decider and, although eighth seed Capriati hung on gamely -- winning one incredible 31-stroke rally when serving to stay in the match -- Serena proved unstoppable.
In a thrilling final game with both players at the peak of their powers, Capriati carved out two break points, netting a forehand on one and being passed on the other.
Serena then clinched victory in one hour 39 minutes as Capriati dragged a forehand into the net with her opponent stranded out of position.
French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne crushed Wimbledon debutante Svetlana Kuznetzova 6-2 6-2 on Tuesday to set up a semi-final against Serena Williams.
The 21-year-old Belgian had too many shots for Kuznetzova, who could do little but shake her head as Henin pelted down groundstroke winners on both sides of the court.
Henin, runner-up here in 2001, broke the 18-year-old Russian's serve twice in each set before winning the match in 58 minutes with a whipping forehand that Kuznetzova could only plant in the net.
The Belgian, who has yet to drop a set here, beat Serena in a bad-tempered semi-final at Roland Garros last month.
French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero failed in his bid to become the first Spaniard to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for 31 years when he lost 6-2 4-6 7-6 7-6 to Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
Resuming at two sets to one down after fading light had halted the fourth round tie on Monday, third seed Ferrero fought hard but was swept aside in a fourth-set tiebreak 7-3.
Grosjean's win set up a quarter-final on Wednesday against Britain's Tim Henman, a player he beat on his way to the final at the pre-Wimbledon Stella Artois Championships.
Despite the defeat, Ferrero's run to the fourth round was the 23-year-old Spaniard's best showing at Wimbledon to date. In his absence, Swiss f
Venus started the contest in ominous form as dark clouds hung low over a chilly Centre Court. She easily held serve with two scorching aces before breaking for a 2-0 lead by forcing Davenport to miscue a backhand long on break point when heavy showers halted play.
Unperturbed by the 80-minute break, Venus clubbed the 1999 champion from the baseline in the opening set as Davenport's forehand rapidly started to collapse.
Venus broke the brittle Davenport serve for the third time in the match to claim the first set with a blazing forehand crosscourt winner. But Davenport refused to surrender her own title hopes and frustrated Venus in the second with a flurry of blistering groundstrokes.
After working her way to a 3-1 lead, Davenport had to counter Venus's astounding service returns in the sixth game to stave off three break points and maintain her advantage.
Pumping her fist and urging herself to stay in the hunt, Davenport withstood the attack before levelling the match after Venus floated a service return long.
Both players were now on uncharted territory in this year's championships as they had each reached the last eight without dropping a set.
While the rallies became more intense, it was Venus who supplied the first blow in the fourth game.
Davenport fired what she thought had been a second serve, only for it to be called long. Clearly distracted by the call, Davenport guided an easy forehand wide on the next point to drop her serve as Venus shrieked in delight.
That effectively ended the fifth seed's chances as she failed to win another game. The world number four kept her nerve in a high-octane final set to seal victory after one hour 27 minutes with a bludgeoning smash.
Clijsters survived a major scare, and a bee sting, before marching into her first Wimbledon singles semi-final on Tuesday, defeating Silvia Farina Elia 5-7 6-0 6-1.
The world number two had only dropped 12 games in reaching the last eight, but she was made to work overtime against a 31-year-old Italian enjoying her best run here on her 12th consecutive appearance.
"It's a good feeling to be to be in another semi and especially here," said the twice French Open runner-up, who will face Venus Williams for a place in the final.
"This grand slam means a lot to me and overall I'm really happy with the my level has been here.
"Against Venus, I'll have to serve well from the start as it's difficult to break her back. I'll have to be aggressive myself."
She squandered three set points on her way to dropping a rain-interrupted first set -- her first of the tournament.
Clijsters later said she had been stung by a bee at 5-4 up, which caused her some discomfort.
"I got this bee sting right in my stomach and didn't know if I was supposed to called the trainer or not," she said. "It's never happened to me before...(but) it was painful. I can still feel it."
But the 20-year-old Clijsters finally got to grips with her cagey opponent and rattled off 12 of the next 13 games. Farina, who made her Wimbledon debut when Clijsters was eight, had never reached a grand slam quarter-final before but she looked far from overawed against the hard-hitting Belgian.
After rain sent the players scuttling for cover at 2-2 in the first set, the Italian returned in determined mood and promptly broke serve.
Clijsters hit back immediately and after serving two booming aces to lead 5-4, she was gifted three set points as the first cracks began to appear in Farina's stubborn resistance.
From 0-40, however, the Italian -- coached by her husband Francesco -- played an inspired game to hold serve, saving one set point after a ferocious baseline rally that drew gasps from an appreciative crowd.
A rattled and, by her own account, ailing Clijsters then dumped a routine volley into the bottom of the net to lose her own serve and Farina Elia made no mistake in serving out the set.
But that was as good as it got though for the lady from Rome, the first Italian woman since Laura Golarsa in 1989 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
She lost her depth and second seed Clijsters, bidding for her first grand slam title and the world number one spot, punished her ruthlessly.
With her venomous groundstrokes finally firing, the Belgian sped through the second set in 20 minutes with boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt nodding his approval in the stands.
It was a similar story in the third as Clijsters showed exactly why she has bagged four titles this year and she wrapped up victory in one hour 24 minutes.
Top seed Serena Williams dug herself out of trouble against fellow American Jennifer Capriati on Tuesday, winning 2-6 6-2 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the third time in the last four years.
Capriati was the last player to beat Serena at Wimbledon -- at the same stage in 2001 -- and a repeat looked on the cards when she romped through the first set in 27 minutes against a strangely wayward Serena.
But the defending champion suddenly clicked into gear and after she broke serve with a bludgeoning backhand to lead 3-2 in the second set, the tide began to turn.
She raced through the next six games to lead 3-0 in the decider and, although eighth seed Capriati hung on gamely -- winning one incredible 31-stroke rally when serving to stay in the match -- Serena proved unstoppable.
In a thrilling final game with both players at the peak of their powers, Capriati carved out two break points, netting a forehand on one and being passed on the other.
Serena then clinched victory in one hour 39 minutes as Capriati dragged a forehand into the net with her opponent stranded out of position.
French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne crushed Wimbledon debutante Svetlana Kuznetzova 6-2 6-2 on Tuesday to set up a semi-final against Serena Williams.
The 21-year-old Belgian had too many shots for Kuznetzova, who could do little but shake her head as Henin pelted down groundstroke winners on both sides of the court.
Henin, runner-up here in 2001, broke the 18-year-old Russian's serve twice in each set before winning the match in 58 minutes with a whipping forehand that Kuznetzova could only plant in the net.
The Belgian, who has yet to drop a set here, beat Serena in a bad-tempered semi-final at Roland Garros last month.
French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero failed in his bid to become the first Spaniard to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for 31 years when he lost 6-2 4-6 7-6 7-6 to Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
Resuming at two sets to one down after fading light had halted the fourth round tie on Monday, third seed Ferrero fought hard but was swept aside in a fourth-set tiebreak 7-3.
Grosjean's win set up a quarter-final on Wednesday against Britain's Tim Henman, a player he beat on his way to the final at the pre-Wimbledon Stella Artois Championships.
Despite the defeat, Ferrero's run to the fourth round was the 23-year-old Spaniard's best showing at Wimbledon to date. In his absence, Swiss f