The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Federer, Vaidisova make semifinals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Federer, Vaidisova make semifinals

PARIS: Once a teen sensation herself, Venus Williams lost on Tuesday to a 17-year-old upstart at Roland Garros.

Nicole Vaidisova pulled off her second successive shocker, beating Williams 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3 to earn her first Grand Slam semifinal berth.

Top-ranked Roger Federer won his 26th Grand Slam match in a row, beating No. 12-seeded Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Federer reached the semifinals in his eighth consecutive major event, two shy of Ivan Lendl's Open-era record.

``To make it to the semis was my first objective in Paris,'' said Federer, anticipating a possible showdown Sunday against defending champion Rafael Nadal. ``I'm much more relaxed now. There was enormous pressure at the start of the tournament, with everybody speaking about a final against Nadal, but first you have to win the matches before you get there.''

Williams was the lone American, male or female, to reach the second week of the tournament. At 25, the five-time Grand Slam winner was the oldest women's quarterfinalist, and she again came up short in her 10th try for a Roland Garros title.

``Obviously I'm disappointed,'' Williams said. ``I would have loved to have done better.''

Also eliminated was Martina Hingis, meaning the French Open remains the only major event she has yet to win. Two-time runner-up Kim Clijsters won 7-6(5), 6-1 over Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam champion who was playing in the tournament for the first time since 2001.

Clijsters' opponent in the semifinals Thursday will be two-time champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, who beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5, 6-2.

Similar pattern

The pattern of Vaidisova's victory was remarkably similar to her previous match, when she stunned top-ranked Amelie Mauresmo 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2. Again Vaidisova staged a comeback.

``She played really good tennis and seems to be on a roll,'' Williams said.

When a Williams forehand sailed long on match point — her 70th unforced error — Vaidisova dropped her racket and threw up her arms in glee.

``I've surprised myself a little,'' said Vaidisova, seeded 16th. ``Twice in a row with some great play...it definitely boosts your confidence a lot.''

The German-born, Florida-based Czech has drawn comparisons to Maria Sharapova, who was 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004. Vaidisova's semifinal opponent will be Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who reached the Roland Garros semifinals for the first time by overcoming an early 5-1 deficit and beating Dinara Safina 7-6(5), 6-0.

Vaidisova said she used a Venus Williams racket as a child and was making her Grand Slam debut at the 2004 U.S. Open when she first saw Williams in person.

``I saw her in the locker room. I was very excited,'' Vaidisova said. ``I admired her style of game.''

Brilliant rallying

The teen had the steadier style Tuesday, pulling ahead to stay at 3-2 in the third set when Williams double-faulted to lose serve. Vaidisova erased a break point to hold in the next game, won a series of brilliant rallies to hold again for 5-3, then broke serve for the sixth time to clinch the win.

Slam quarterfinals.

Efficient

Clijsters, seeded second, took quick leads in both sets and finished with 31 winners to 15 for Hingis.

``I knew that I needed to improve my game compared to my last few matches, and I did,'' she said. ``I stepped it up.''

Clijsters can regain the No. 1 ranking from Mauresmo if she reaches the final.

The No. 14-seeded Safina, playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, unraveled after blowing the early lead and won only three points in the second set against Kuznetsova. Safina finished with 13 winners and 36 unforced errors.

Said Safina, younger sister of two-time major champion Marat Safin: ``She didn't give me any opportunity.''

Kuznetsova, seeded eighth, is bidding for her second major title. She won the 2004 U.S. Open.

``I have no pressure,'' she said. ``Why should I have pressure? I'm in semifinals. I have done very well.'' — AP

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