Top-seeded Serena Williams exited the Sydney International amid a flurry of errors against Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva yesterday, losing 6-3, 6-1.
No. 2-ranked Williams, who was forced to save three match points in her three-set quarter-final win over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark late on Wednesday, will now head to Melbourne for next week’s Australian Open.
“I gave it away more than anything,” Williams said. “I made a lot of errors and made her look like a champ, really. I just pretty much gave her the match.”
PHOTO: EPA
The nine-time Grand Slam singles winner remained optimistic about her chances at the season’s first major, saying she is feeling fit.
“It was good to have a few matches under my belt getting ready for Melbourne,” she said. “I feel like I’m going to play a lot better than what I did this week.”
Dementieva will take on fellow Russian and No. 3-ranked Dinara Safina for the Sydney title in a reprise of the Beijing Olympics final.
PHOTO: AP
Second-seeded Safina beat Japan’s Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 7-6 (3).
“I realize how tough it’s going to be to play against Dinara tomorrow,” Dementieva said. “She’s in great shape right now. But it’s going to be a great experience anyway. This is what we’re all here for. We just want to get the best preparation as possible and play our best in the grand slam.”
The Russian has noticed improvement in her game over the past year, notably following wins in Dubai early last year and her Olympic triumph.
“I’ve done a lot of good work. All these big results from last year really gives me a lot confidence,” she said.
Safina was prepared for anyone in the final.
“It’s going to be a good challenge, especially before the grand slam, to play somebody who’s in the best shape,” she said. “You cannot really play tactically with them. You just have to go out there and hit the ball.”
In the men’s tournament Argentina’s David Nalbandian scored a sweet victory over fierce Australian rival Lleyton Hewitt to power into the semi-finals.
The tournament fourth seed dominated with his groundstrokes from the back court as he parcelled up a 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 win over the former world No. 1 in one hour and 48 minutes.
Nalbandian, who still trails the feisty Australian 3-2 in career meetings, next plays Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Unseeded Gasquet, a runner-up in last week’s Brisbane International, was too strong for compatriot qualifier Jeremy Chardy, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) in an earlier quarter-final.
Nalbandian has had a long, and at times, bitter rivalry with Hewitt since the Australian’s 2002 Wimbledon final triumph in straight sets.
Hewitt’s ranking has dropped to 74 since hip surgery last August, but he has been playing strongly in the Sydney tournament with victories over France’s Julien Benneteau and Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.
Nalbandian broke the Australian twice in both sets, but double-faulted on break point as he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set after decisively winning the opening set tiebreaker.
Top seed Novak Djokovic earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over Croatia’s Mario Ancic in the night quarter-final.
Djokovic will next play Jarkko Nieminen after the Finn received a walk-over into the semi-finals when his opponent, French third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, pulled out with a lower back complaint.
■KOOYONG CLASSIC
AFP, MELBOURNE
Roger Federer passed a tough test yesterday to reach the final of Australia’s Kooyong Classic, needing three sets and more than two hours to defeat Fernando Verdasco.
The Swiss world No. 2 got a workout before finally subduing Spain’s Davis Cup finals hero, firing an ace on the fourth match point to win 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5).
Federer will await the winner of today’s Promotion round match at the eight-man Australian Open tune-up, which will see his Davis Cup teammate Stan Wawrinka face Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez.
After advancing on opening day in 57 minutes against Carlos Moya, Federer said that going three sets was fine.
“I’ll play enough tennis this week, it’s better to be on the match court,” said the 13-time grand slam winner.
“The second set wasn’t the best of levels, he was struggling with the sun and I couldn’t capitalize,” he said.
In the relegation round, 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis got his trademark smile back as he won his first match of the season, beating Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
It was Federer’s third victory over Verdasco after beating the young Spaniard on clay in 2005 and last year in Hamburg.
The Swiss stormed through the opening set after grabbing a 5-0 lead before Verdasco fought back and made a contest of it.
“As it went on, we played better and better,” said Federer. “In the end it was a good match.”
In the other relegation round match, Marin Cilic earned a chance at a possible third-place finish at the weekend as he defeated Spanish veteran Moya 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) to leave the 32-year-old 0-2 this week.
■HEINEKEN OPEN
AFP, AUCKLAND, New Zealand
Top seed Juan Martin Del Potro disposed of Serb Viktor Troicki in less than an hour and a half yesterday to ensure a semi-final spot in the Heineken Open men’s tennis tournament.
But second seed David Ferrer had an even easier passage when defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany was forced to pull out of their quarter-final with a shoulder injury.
After a series of gruelling second round duels, the quarter-finals were much more lopsided, with sixth seed American Sam Querrey disposing of fourth seed Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-2.
Swede Robin Soderling brought the brave run of qualifier John Isner to an end, beating the American 6-4, 6-4.
Del Potro was expected to be tested by Troicki but he easily saw off the Serb 6-3, 6-2.
Troicki’s powerful serve was off target against the world number nine Del Potro, with only 47 percent of his first serves finding their mark.
“I feel I played better today. I served good and I didn’t give any chances to Troicki,” the Argentinian said.
Del Potro, who won four tournaments last year and is looking to move even higher this year in the top 10, said he worked hard for a month to get his game in shape for the new season.
The tall Querrey needed just over an hour to beat Almagro, who is 18 places higher in the world rankings at number 18.
Making the most of his 205cm height, the American pounded down 10 aces and landed 69 percent of his first serves, never giving up a break point.
“I wanted to go and be positive from the start,” Querrey said.
“Yesterday, I wasn’t really going for it and later I got tentative. Today, by swinging out early, it helped me for later in the match,” he said.
Kohlschreiber said he was disappointed to have to give up his defense of the title, especially after an outstanding three-set win over Juan Carlos Ferrero on Wednesday.
“I am very sad about this,” the fifth seed said. “But I need to do what is best for my shoulder.”
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