Serena Williams yesterday survived a scare from France’s Aravane Rezai before booking her spot in the Sydney International final against Russian Elena Dementieva.
The Australian Open champion was teetering on the brink of defeat after losing the first set and trailing 5-2 in the second but she raised her game to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
While Williams had to dig deep, Dementieva had no real problems winning her semi-final against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Dementieva cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 victory at the Olympic tennis center to remain on course to defend her title.
France were at least assured of a place in the men’s final after Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteau won their last-eight matches.
Gasquet, who resumed playing this month after being cleared over a positive cocaine test, defeated Italy’s Potito Starace 6-3, 7-6 and Benneteau beat Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-4, 6-7, 6-0.
PHOTO: AFP
Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus also reached the semi-finals by beating Australian Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. He next meets American Mardy Fish, who overcame Australia’s Peter Luczak 7-6 6-2.
■KOOYONG CLASSIC
PHOTO: EPA
AFP, MELBOURNE
US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro yesterday pulled out of his final tune-up match prior to the Australian Open, citing a wrist injury.
His withdrawal was mirrored by Robin Soderling, who quit a semi-final trailing 6-4 against Ivan Ljubicic to avoid doing himself more elbow damage ahead of the season’s opening Grand Slam.
The Del Potro decision puts Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga into tomorrow’s final against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, who beat Novak Djokovic 6-1, 6-2.
■HOBART INTERNATIONAL
REUTERS, SYDNEY
Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues recovered from a loss of concentration yesterday to secure her place in the semi-finals of the Hobart International, one of the last events before the Australian Open.
The top seed defeated Argentina’s Gisela Dulko 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 to set up a meeting with Alona Bondarenko today after the Ukrainian fourth seed defeated China’s Zheng Jie 7-5, 7-5.
Unseeded Sara Errani of Italy also progressed to the last four by beating Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 6-4.
Errani will play second seed Shahar Peer after the Israeli beat Spanish fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-6, 7-5.
■HEINEKEN OPEN
AFP, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Giant American John Isner yesterday called on every centimenter of his 206cm frame yesterday to upset Tommy Robredo in their Heineken Open quarter-final. The unseeded American fired 20 booming aces and a powerful barrage of ground strokes to down the world No. 16 with a 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-4 victory.
Isner will play Albert Montanes in today’s semi-final after the eighth seed had a relatively easy 6-3, 6-3 victory over Swiss qualifier Michael Lammer.
Arnaud Clement beat sixth-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-2, 7-5. The 32-year-old world No. 67 will face a semi-final clash against 2008 Auckland champion Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated Marc Gicquel 6-3, 6-1.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jack Hinshelwood on Monday sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory against Liverpool to leave the English Premier League champions without a win since clinching the title. Arne Slot’s side took the lead through Harvey Elliott’s early opener before Yasin Ayari equalized at the American Express Stadium. Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s advantage just before halftime, but Brighton staged a late fightback as Kaoru Mitoma leveled before Hinshelwood came off the bench to net with his first touch. Liverpool have taken just one point from their three matches following the title-clinching rout of Tottenham Hotspur on April 27. The Reds have lost at
Logan O’Hoppe, Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo homered, and the Los Angeles Angels spoiled Clayton Kershaw’s season debut, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 on Saturday night to take the first two games of the three-game series. Kershaw allowed three runs and threw 38 pitches in the first inning. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner lasted four innings, giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Shoulder, toe and knee injuries limited Kershaw to seven games last season, and his 2025 debut was delayed as he recovered from multiple offseason surgeries. O’Hoppe had two hits with
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