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.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
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Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
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