The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Serena beats Venus in marquee semifinal

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Sport - Tennis

Serena beats Venus in marquee semifinal

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Schnyder cruises past Yan to earn a shot at the title

— Photo: AFP

HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE: Serena Williams prevailed over her sister in Venus in a three setter.

Bangalore: In a match that scripted Saturday night fever afresh at the KSLTA Courts, third-seeded Serena Williams prevailed over second-seeded Venus Williams 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4). The much-awaited Canara Bank Bangalore Open singles semifinal lived up to its billing as the sisters cracked winners, sulked at errors, fidgeted with their raquets and left the audience nursing sore throats.

After winning one set each that ebbed and flowed with their forehands, the decider seemed headed Serena’s way as she had a break in the seventh game but while serving for the match at 5-4, she wilted, lost her serve and the set inevitably rolled into the tie-breaker. Serena won the tie-breaker 7-4 to notch up a significant match on her comeback trail from a long lay-off after the Australian Open and a gum surgery.

“It was a hard fought match and now I have to re-focus on the final,” said Serena.

It was Serena who marked her territory in the early part of the match as she won the first set, riding on breaks in the fifth and ninth games. She continued to enthral the crowd which was equally supportive of both the sisters. Serena led 2-0 in the second set before Venus won four games in a row and with Serena serving two double faults in the ninth game to lose serve, the elder sister nudged the match into the decider.

Schnyder waits

Earlier, fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland halted China’s unseeded Zi Yan’s rollicking journey in the tournament, beating her 6-3, 6-4 in the first semifinal.

Schnyder took calculated risks right from the opening game of the first set while Yan served, chipping-and-charging, and whipping a forehand cross-court to push Yan into the corner. Schnyder got the break and soon led 2-0 before Yan broke back and levelled at 2-2. Schnyder did have her moments; a peach of a passing shot that finely split the line in one of those nuanced rallies stood out.

The fourth seed had another break in the fifth game. Her strategy of moving wide on Yan’s serve to create space for her forehand paid handsome dividends.

Yan despite relying on her bread-and-butter shot — the double-handed backhand — also sprung the forehand as a surprise weapon.

In the second set, Schnyder had breaks in the fourth and the eighth games while Yan broke back in the fifth. However, serving for the match at 5-3, Schnyder lost her groove and Yan bounced back briefly. But the Chinese girl failed to hold her serve in the next game and lost the match, double-faulting on match-point.

“I was not lucky as yesterday,” Zi Yan said.

Correction: Yan defeated Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, and not as published in the results on Saturday.

The results (semifinals): Singles: 3-Serena Williams bt 2- Venus Williams 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4); 4-Patty Schnyder (Sui) bt Zi Yan (Chn) 6-3, 6-4. Doubles: 3-Shuai Peng & Tiantian Sun (Chn) bt Chunmei Ji & Shengnan Sun (Chn) 6-3, 6-2.